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Wheat is one of the most important food crops in the world and is considered one of the top targets in crop biotechnology. With the high-quality reference genomes of wheat and its relative species and the recent burst of genomic resources in Triticeae, demands to perform gene functional studies in wheat and genetic improvement have been rapidly increasing, requiring that production of transgenic wheat should become a routine technique. While established for more than 20 years, the particle bombardment-mediated wheat transformation has not become routine yet, with only a handful of labs being proficient in this technique. This could be due to, at least partly, the low transformation efficiency and the technical difficulties. Here, we describe the current version of this method through adaptation and optimization. We report the detailed protocol of producing transgenic wheat by the particle gun, including several critical steps, from the selection of appropriate explants (i.e., immature scutella), the preparation of DNA-coated gold particles, and several established strategies of tissue culture. More importantly, with over 20 years of experience in wheat transformation in our lab, we share the many technical details and recommendations and emphasize that the particle bombardment-mediated approach has fewer limitations in genotype dependency and vector construction when compared with the Agrobacterium-mediated methods. The particle bombardment-mediated method has been successful for over 30 wheat genotypes, from the tetraploid durum wheat to the hexaploid common wheat, from modern elite varieties to landraces. In conclusion, the particle bombardment-mediated wheat transformation has demonstrated its potential and wide applications, and the full set of protocol, experience, and successful reports in many wheat genotypes described here will further its impacts, making it a routine and robust technique in crop research labs worldwide.

RNA-seq has become a state-of-the-art technique for transcriptomic studies. Advances in both RNA-seq techniques and the corresponding analysis tools and pipelines have unprecedently shaped our understanding in almost every aspects of plant sciences. Notably, the integration of huge amount of RNA-seq with other omic data sets in the model plants and major crop species have facilitated plant regulomics, while the RNA-seq analysis has still been primarily used for differential expression analysis in many less-studied plant species. To unleash the analytical power of RNA-seq in plant species, especially less-studied species and biomass crops, we summarize recent achievements of RNA-seq analysis in the major plant species and representative tools in the four types of application: (1) transcriptome assembly, (2) construction of expression atlas, (3) network analysis, and (4) structural alteration. We emphasize the importance of expression atlas, coexpression networks and predictions of gene regulatory relationships in moving plant transcriptomes toward regulomics, an omic view of genome-wide transcription regulation. We highlight what can be achieved in plant research with RNA-seq by introducing a list of representative RNA-seq analysis tools and resources that are developed for certain minor species or suitable for the analysis without species limitation. In summary, we provide an updated digest on RNA-seq tools, resources and the diverse applications for plant research, and our perspective on the power and challenges of short-read RNA-seq analysis from a regulomic point view. A full utilization of these fruitful RNA-seq resources will promote plant omic research to a higher level, especially in those less studied species.

BackgroundAdjuvant chemotherapy is a major adjuvant treatment modality for hormonal receptor (HR)-positive and HER2-negative early breast cancer, but only 2%-20% of patients derive practical benefits. How to balance its potential benefits and risks becomes a challenging clinical problem. The purpose of this study was to assess whether RecurIndex assay could serve as an aid for adjuvant chemotherapy decisions in Chinese patients with HR-positive HER2-negative early breast cancer.MethodsThe tissue samples of pT1-2N0 HR-positive HER2-negative breast cancer from multiple centers were detected using RecurIndex assay, based on which the patients were assigned into low- and high-risk groups. The survival outcomes of low- and high-risk patients including those with and without adjuvant chemotherapy were compared, and the risk factors for recurrence and metastasis were identified.ResultsTotally 445 patients were eligible for analysis. By contrast to high-risk patients, low-risk patients represented better 7-year recurrence-free survival (RFS), distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) rates. For low-risk patients, no significant differences were shown between those with and without adjuvant chemotherapy in 7-year RFS, DRFS and LRFS rates. These differences were also inapparent between high-risk patients with and without adjuvant chemotherapy. The multivariate model revealed high-risk patients had a significantly elevated risk of recurrence and metastasis than those at low risk.ConclusionHR-positive HER2-negative early breast cancer patients at low risk stratified by RecurIndex assay might be exempt from adjuvant chemotherapy. Whether adjuvant chemotherapy may derive survival benefits for high-risk patients still needs larger cohorts to verify.

Abstract Introduction Sublobar resection has been widely accepted for treating pure ground-glass opacities (GGOs). As GGOs have good prognosis, preserving postoperative pulmonary function is the major concern in surgery. No studies have yet compared the success rates of pulmonary function reservation between segmentectomy and wedge resection. Method The three-dimensional rebuild of computed tomography (CT) images was performed, the segmentectomy and wedge resection of the GGO in the target segment were simulated, and the area of cut surface was measured, which was important data for successful postoperative pulmonary recruitment maneuvers. Result With equal volumes of tissue removed, segmentectomy and wedge resection showed similar surface area loss for RS4 and RS5, followed by LS7 + 8, LS6 and LS1 + 2 segments. Compared with other segments, wedge resection performed in RS10, LS3, LS10, RS9 and RS7 may lead to a loss of lot more surface area than segmentectomy. Conclusion Wedge resection is suggested for segments RS4, RS5, LS1 + 2 and LS7 + 8, whereas segmentectomy is advised for segments RS1, LS4 + 5 and RS2. Meanwhile, deep wedge resection should be avoided for segments RS8, RS7, RS10, LS3, LS10. RS9 and LS9, in order to preserve a larger lung surface area.

The bay area is a crucial land–sea junction zone containing essential urban clusters while receiving extremely complex internal and external disturbances that challenge more on its resilience management. However, a sound management tool based on the bay area’s resilience is widely lacking due to the difficulty of unifying resilience indicators and quantifying resilience relationships between regions. This paper tries to establish a comprehensive resilience index for coastal bays from four major resilience-related dimensions, namely, physical structure, social development, ecological environment, and hazards, and applies it into the three major developed bay areas in China. A coupling coordination degree model was used to further reveal the resilience development and its internal coordination by temporal and spatial differences. The results show that the index could clearly reveal the resilience changes from the year 2000 to 2020 of the three bays with the common key drivers of socioeconomic development. It also explains the resilience changes among three bay areas through analyzing synergistic and conflict relationships between the four sub-resilience systems.

Shrinking cities are a global issue with regional characteristics. This paper focuses on the county-level administrative units in the Three Northeastern Provinces in China to identify and classify shrinking cities using a two-step identification method and explores their spatial-temporal evolution. The paper utilizes the panel threshold regression model for empirical testing. The results indicate the following: (1) The number of shrinking cities in the region is large and deep. Quantitatively, the shrinking cities account for about 50% of the whole; spatially, there are six major shrinking city “groups”, showing the distribution trend around the “Ha-Da” urban corridor. (2) The threshold effect test reveals that GDP is a critical threshold variable influencing the formation of shrinking cities. Moreover, cities are classified into three types based on the threshold values: Type I (GDP > 2,270,731 yuan), Type II (434,832 < GDP ≤ 2,270,731), and Type III (GDP < 434,832). (3) The results of the dual-threshold and grouped regression models show significant variations in the dominant factors of shrinking cities of different scales. Variables such as impervious area, fiscal revenue, and grass area demonstrate relatively stable promoting effects.

Stripe rust, which is caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is one of the most devastating foliar diseases of common wheat worldwide. Breeding new wheat varieties with durable resistance is the most effective way of controlling the disease. Tetraploid Thinopyrum elongatum (2n = 4x = 28, EEEE) carries a variety of genes conferring resistance to multiple diseases, including stripe rust, Fusarium head blight, and powdery mildew, which makes it a valuable tertiary genetic resource for enhancing wheat cultivar improvement. Here, a novel wheat–tetraploid Th. elongatum 6E (6D) disomic substitution line (K17-1065-4) was characterized using genomic in situ hybridization and fluorescence in situ hybridization chromosome painting analyses. The evaluation of disease responses revealed that K17-1065-4 is highly resistant to stripe rust at the adult stage. By analyzing the whole-genome sequence of diploid Th. elongatum, we detected 3382 specific SSR sequences on chromosome 6E. Sixty SSR markers were developed, and thirty-three of them can accurately trace chromosome 6E of tetraploid Th. elongatum, which were linked to the disease resistance gene(s) in the wheat genetic background. The molecular marker analysis indicated that 10 markers may be used to distinguish Th. elongatum from other wheat-related species. Thus, K17-1065-4 carrying the stripe rust resistance gene(s) is a novel germplasm useful for breeding disease-resistant wheat cultivars. The molecular markers developed in this study may facilitate the mapping of the stripe rust resistance gene on chromosome 6E of tetraploid Th. elongatum.

Abstract Using viral metagenomics, viral nucleic acid in 30 respiratory secretion samples collected from children with unknown etiological acute respiratory disease were investigated. Sequences showing similarity to human parainfluenza virus 1, anellovirus, bocavirus, coxsackievirus A4, human parechovirus (HPeV), and alphaflexivirus were recovered from these samples. Complete genomes of one anellovirus, one coxsackievirus A4, three parechoviruses were determined from these libraries. The anellovirus (MW267851) phylogenetically clustered with an unpublished anellovirus (MK212032) from respiratory sample of a Vietnamese patient, forming a separate branch neighboring to strains within the genus Betatorquevirus. The genome of coxsackievirus A4 (MW267852) shares the highest sequence identity of 96.4% to a coxsackievirus A4 (MN964079) which was identified in clinical samples from children with Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD). Two (MW267853 and MW267854) of the three parechoviruses belong to HPeV-1 and the other one (MW267855) belongs to HPeV-6. Recombination analysis indicated that an HPeV-1 (MW267854) identified in this study is a putative recombinant occurred between HPeV-1 and HPeV-3. Whether these viruses have association with specific respiratory disease calls for further investigation.

PurposeTo accurately assess disease progression after Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) of early-stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), a combined predictive model based on pre-treatment CT radiomics features and clinical factors was established.MethodsThis study retrospectively analyzed the data of 96 patients with early-stage NSCLC treated with SABR. Clinical factors included general information (e.g. gender, age, KPS, Charlson score, lung function, smoking status), pre-treatment lesion status (e.g. diameter, location, pathological type, T stage), radiation parameters (biological effective dose, BED), the type of peritumoral radiation-induced lung injury (RILI). Independent risk factors were screened by logistic regression analysis. Radiomics features were extracted from pre-treatment CT. The minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance (mRMR) and the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) were adopted for the dimensionality reduction and feature selection. According to the weight coefficient of the features, the Radscore was calculated, and the radiomics model was constructed. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to establish the combined model based on radiomics features and clinical factors. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, DeLong test, Hosmer-Lemeshow test, and Decision Curve Analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the model’s diagnostic efficiency and clinical practicability.ResultsWith the median follow-up of 59.1 months, 29 patients developed progression and 67 remained good controlled within two years. Among the clinical factors, the type of peritumoral RILI was the only independent risk factor for progression (P< 0.05). Eleven features were selected from 1781 features to construct a radiomics model. For predicting disease progression after SABR, the Area Under the Curve (AUC) of training and validation cohorts in the radiomics model was 0.88 (95%CI 0.80-0.96) and 0.80 (95%CI 0.62-0.98), and AUC of training and validation cohorts in the combined model were 0.88 (95%CI 0.81-0.96) and 0.81 (95%CI 0.62-0.99). Both the radiomics and the combined models have good prediction efficiency in the training and validation cohorts. Still, DeLong test shows that there is no difference between them.ConclusionsCompared with the clinical model, the radiomics model and the combined model can better predict the disease progression of early-stage NSCLC after SABR, which might contribute to individualized follow-up plans and treatment strategies.

Anxiety- and depression-like behavior following chemotherapy treatment occurs in cancer patients with high probability and no specific therapeutics are available for treatment and prevention of this complication. Here, tilapia skin peptides (TSP), a novel enzymatically hydrolyzed bioactive peptide mixture, obtained from tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) scraps, were studied on cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced anxiety- and depression-like behavior in mice. Mice were received intraperitoneal injection of CP for 2 weeks, while TSP was administered for 4 weeks. After the end of the animal experiment, behavioral, biochemical, and molecular tests were carried out. The mice decreased preference for sugar water, increased immobility time in the forced swimming and tail suspension test, and decreased travel distance in the open field test in the Model group, compared with the Control group. Abnormal changes in behavioral tests were significantly improved after the TSP treatment. Additionally, abnormalities on superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase were rescued by administration of 1000 mg/kg/d TSP in mice than that of the Model group. TSP has normalized the expression of Iba-1 and the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the hippocampus of mice, which indicated that TSP could observably ameliorate neuroinflammatory response in the hippocampus of mice. TSP ameliorated the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons of CA1 and CA3 regions in the TSP group vs. the Model group. The number of doublecortin positive cells was drastically increased by administering 1000 mg/kg/d TSP in mice vs. the Model group. Furthermore, TSP reversed the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling pathway, and reduced the Bcl-2/Bax/caspase-3 apoptosis pathway. In conclusion, TSP could restore CP-induced anxiety- and depression-like behavior via improving oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, neuron apoptosis, and neurogenesis in mice hippocampus.

Abstract Objective Considering the potential of adipose‐derived stem cells (ADSCs) migrating towards cancer cells, this study was performed to explore the function of tumor necrosis factor‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) modified ADSCs on the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods ADSCs were extracted from human adipose tissues and identified through immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Oil red staining and alizarin red staining were performed to clarify the differentiation potential of ADSCs. AAV‐CMV‐sTRAIL was transfected into ADSCs before Western blot and Transwell measurements. sTRAIL‐ADSCs were cocultured with HCC cells to explore its effect on the proliferation and apoptosis of HCC cells. The possible effect of sTRAIL‐ADSCs or ADSCs on tumor growth and metastasis was determined in vivo using xenograft nude mouse models. Results ADSCs were successfully extracted from adipose tissues, which were confirmed by cell morphology and positive expressions of CD44 and CD105. ADSCs were found with differentiation potential. After transfection, TRAIL was stably expressed in sTRAIL‐ADSCs. Both ADSCs and sTRAIL‐ADSCs can migrate towards HCC cells. In addition, sTRAIL‐ADSCs can promote the cell apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation in vitro, on parallel it can also suppress epithelial‐mesenchymal transition, tumor growth, and metastasis in vivo. Conclusion TRAIL modified ADSCs can migrate towards HCC cells to inhibit tumor growth and the metastasis of implanted HCC tumors, which hints TRAIL modified ADSCs may be a new therapeutic approach for HCC treatment.

AIM: To observe the changes of the development of the anterior segment in children after the treatment of laser photocoagulation(LP)for retinopathy of prematurity(ROP)by corneal topographic. METHODS: In this retrospective case study, 25 children(50 eyes)as ROP group and 23 children(46 eyes)born at term as control group had participated in the study. The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)was examined in both groups, and converted to LogMAR vision when statistical analysis was performed. The observation indicators of the Sirius anterior segment analysis system in the study were as follows: the horizontal iris diameter(HVID), corneal radius of the thinnest point, the thinnest point of the cornea, the maximum curvature of the cornea, the maximum radius of cornea curvature, central corneal thickness(CCT), corneal volume(CV), anterior chamber depth(ACD), anterior chamber volume and the anterior chamber angle.RESULTS: The HVID, the thinnest point of the cornea, ACD, and the anterior chamber volume in ROP group were smaller than that in the control group(all P0.05). The BCVA was significantly better in the control group than that in the ROP group(0.07±0.10 vs 0.24±0.25, P

In this paper, taking the generalized synchronization problem of discrete chaotic systems as a starting point, a generalized synchronization method incorporating error-feedback coefficients into the controller based on the generalized chaos synchronization theory and stability theorem for nonlinear systems is proposed. Two discrete chaotic systems with different dimensions are constructed in this paper, the dynamics of the proposed systems are analyzed, and finally, the phase diagrams, Lyapunov exponent diagrams, and bifurcation diagrams of these are shown and described. The experimental results show that the design of the adaptive generalized synchronization system is achievable in cases in which the error-feedback coefficient satisfies certain conditions. Finally, a chaotic hiding image encryption transmission system based on a generalized synchronization approach is proposed, in which an error-feedback coefficient is introduced into the controller.

Determining whether the supply–demand matching (SDM) of urban public health resources is reasonable involves important issues such as health security and the rational use of resources. Using the central urban area of Tianjin as the research area, this paper used the Gaussian-based 2-step floating catchment area method (Ga2SFCA), combined with multi-source data, and comprehensively considered public medical, natural, and physical resources to evaluate the SDM of single-category and integrated public health resources in the research area. The results showed the following: (1) there was a good fit between supply and demand for public medical and natural health resources in Tianjin’s central urban area. For public physical health resources, there was a poor fit between supply and demand; the population in the supply insufficient and scarce areas for 82.78% of the total and was mainly distributed in the marginal areas of the four districts around the city and the six districts of the inner city. (2) For integrated public health resources, the degree of SDM was generally good. It had a circular structure that gradually shrank from the core to the edge. In order to promote the supply–demand balance of urban public health resources, this paper proposed three strategies involving three aspects: the supply, accessibility, and demand of urban public health resources. These strategies involve the service supply level, urban traffic network and slow traffic, development intensity, and population scale.

Carbon emissions increase the risk of climate change. As one of the primary sources of carbon emissions, road traffic faces a significant challenge in terms of reducing carbon emissions. Many studies have been conducted to examine the impacts of cities on carbon emissions from the perspectives of urbanization, population size, and economics. However, a detailed understanding of the relationship between road traffic and urban carbon emissions is lacking due to the lack of a reasonable set of road traffic metrics. Furthermore, there have been fewer studies that have conducted cluster analyses of the impact factors, which will be supplemented in this research. We established 10 impact metrics, including the highway network system, city road network system, public transit system, and land use system of streets and transportation, using 117 county-level cities in Hebei Province as the study area, which is one of the regions in China with the most acute conflicts between economic development and the environment. We built an ordinary least squares (OLS) model, a spatial lag model (SLM), a spatial error model (SEM), a spatial Durbin model (SDM), and a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model, and performed a cluster analysis on the key metrics. The results are as follows: (1) The difference in spatial distribution of urban land-average carbon emissions is obvious, highly concentrated in the areas surrounding Beijing and Tianjin. (2) The GWR model has a higher R2 and a lower AICc than global models (OLS, SLM, SEM, and SDM) and performs better when analyzing the impact mechanism. (3) Highway network density, city road length, and density of the public transit network have significant effects on urban land-average carbon emissions, whereas the street and transportation land use systems have no significant effect, which indicates that the highway network and public transit systems should be prioritized. (4) The GWR model results show that the impact of the four metrics on the urban land-average carbon emissions exhibits clear spatial heterogeneity with a significant piecewise spatial distribution pattern. The highway network density has a relatively large impact on the northern region. The northwest is more affected by the density of the public transit network. The southwest is most impacted by the length of city roads. (5) The study area is divided into four distinct characteristic areas: the highway network dominant impact area, the public transit dominant impact area, the city road network dominant impact area, and the multi-factor joint impact area. Different traffic optimization strategies are proposed for different areas.

Abstract Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition whose biological basis is yet to be elucidated. The Australian Autism Biobank (AAB) is an initiative of the Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC) to establish an Australian resource of biospecimens, phenotypes and genomic data for research on autism. Methods Genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism genotypes were available for 2,477 individuals (after quality control) from 546 families (436 complete), including 886 participants aged 2 to 17 years with diagnosed (n = 871) or suspected (n = 15) ASD, 218 siblings without ASD, 1,256 parents, and 117 unrelated children without an ASD diagnosis. The genetic data were used to confirm familial relationships and assign ancestry, which was majority European (n = 1,964 European individuals). We generated polygenic scores (PGS) for ASD, IQ, chronotype and height in the subset of Europeans, and in 3,490 unrelated ancestry-matched participants from the UK Biobank. We tested for group differences for each PGS, and performed prediction analyses for related phenotypes in the AAB. We called copy-number variants (CNVs) in all participants, and intersected these with high-confidence ASD- and intellectual disability (ID)-associated CNVs and genes from the public domain. Results The ASD (p = 6.1e−13), sibling (p = 4.9e−3) and unrelated (p = 3.0e−3) groups had significantly higher ASD PGS than UK Biobank controls, whereas this was not the case for height—a control trait. The IQ PGS was a significant predictor of measured IQ in undiagnosed children (r = 0.24, p = 2.1e−3) and parents (r = 0.17, p = 8.0e−7; 4.0% of variance), but not the ASD group. Chronotype PGS predicted sleep disturbances within the ASD group (r = 0.13, p = 1.9e−3; 1.3% of variance). In the CNV analysis, we identified 13 individuals with CNVs overlapping ASD/ID-associated CNVs, and 12 with CNVs overlapping ASD/ID/developmental delay-associated genes identified on the basis of de novo variants. Limitations This dataset is modest in size, and the publicly-available genome-wide-association-study (GWAS) summary statistics used to calculate PGS for ASD and other traits are relatively underpowered. Conclusions We report on common genetic variation and rare CNVs within the AAB. Prediction analyses using currently available GWAS summary statistics are largely consistent with expected relationships based on published studies. As the size of publicly-available GWAS summary statistics grows, the phenotypic depth of the AAB dataset will provide many opportunities for analyses of autism profiles and co-occurring conditions, including when integrated with other omics datasets generated from AAB biospecimens (blood, urine, stool, hair).

Methods to study how natural selection shapes genetic architecture of complex traits rely on individual level genome-wide association study (GWAS) data. Here, the authors present a Bayesian method using GWAS summary statistics to study genetic architecture and apply this to 155 complex traits.

Abstract Background Although some studies have investigated the bacterial community in vaginal tract of pregnant women, there are few reports about the viral community (virome) in this type of microenvironment. Methods To investigate the composition of virome in vaginal secretion samples, 40 vaginal secretion samples from pregnant women with vaginitis and 20 vaginal secretion samples from pregnant women without vaginitis, pooled into 4 and 2 sample pools, respectively, were subjected to viral metagenomic analysis. Results Results indicated virus sequences showing similarity to human papillomavirus (HPV), anellovirus, and norovirus were recovered from this cohort of pregnant women. Further analysis indicated that 15 different defined types and one unclassified type of HPV were detected from pregnant women with vaginitis while only 3 defined types of HPV were detected in pregnant women without vaginitis. Five different groups of viruses from the family Anelloviridae were present in pregnant women with but none of them were detected in pregnant women without vaginitis. Norovirus was detected in 3 out of the 4 sample pools from pregnant women with vaginitis but none in the pregnant women without vaginitis. Twelve complete genomes belonging to 10 different types of HPV, and 5 novel anllovirus genomes belonging 2 different genera in Anelloviridae were acquired from these libraries, based on which phylogenetical analysis and pairwise sequence comparison were performed. Phageome in these samples was also briefly characterized and compared between two groups. Conclusion Our data suggested that virome might play an important role in the progression of vaginitis in pregnant women.

Abstract Background The wheat dwarfing gene increases lodging resistance, the grain number per spike and harvest index. Dwarf Polish wheat (Triticum polonicum L., 2n = 4x = 28, AABB, DPW), initially collected from Tulufan, Xinjiang, China, carries a semi-dwarfing gene Rht-dp on chromosome 4BS. However, Rht-dp and its dwarfing mechanism are unknown. Results Homologous cloning and mapping revealed that Rht-dp is the ‘Green Revolution’ gene Rht-B1b. A haplotype analysis in 59 tetraploid wheat accessions showed that Rht-B1b was only present in T. polonicum. Transcriptomic analysis of two pairs of near-isogenic lines (NILs) of DPW × Tall Polish wheat (Triticum polonicum L., 2n = 4x = 28, AABB, TPW) revealed 41 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) as potential dwarfism-related genes. Among them, 28 functionally annotated DEGs were classed into five sub-groups: hormone-related signalling transduction genes, transcription factor genes, cell wall structure-related genes, reactive oxygen-related genes, and nitrogen regulation-related genes. Conclusions These results indicated that Rht-dp is Rht-B1b, which regulates pathways related to hormones, reactive oxygen species, and nitrogen assimilation to modify the cell wall structure, and then limits cell wall loosening and inhibits cell elongation, thereby causing dwarfism in DPW.

Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolate (Lamb.) Hook) individual tree parameters extraction is important for scientific forest management. However, high-precision parameters extraction by field investigation or spaceborne optical remote sensing is difficult when the forest is dense and the terrain is complex. This article proposes a framework for extracting individual tree parameters by combining low-cost and high-efficiency unmanned aerial vehicle-based oblique photogrammetry with manned airborne light detection and ranging data and explores the influence of spatial resolution on the accuracy of parameter extraction. The variable window filtering (VWF) was used to detect an individual tree. The marker-controlled watershed segmentation (MCWS) and seed region growing algorithms were used to delineate the crown. The individual tree detection using VWF based on 1 m resolution achieves precision of 80%. For the crown delineation, it is more accurate based on the 0.25 m resolution using MCWS algorithm with the detection accuracy of 65%. The results show that the proposed framework can effectively detect the tree and delineate the crown under complex terrain conditions and the optimal resolution for different parameter extraction is determined, which has important guiding significance to determine the flight parameters and reduce unnecessary data processing.

The Loess Plateau is one of the main regions for growing apple trees in China, but a shortage of water resources and low utilization of nitrogen have restricted its agricultural development. A 2-year field experiment was conducted which included three levels of soil water content (SWC), 90–75%, 75–60%, and 60–45% of field capacity, and five levels of nitrogen application (Napp), 0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4 and 0.3 kg/plant. The treatments were arranged in a strip-plot design with complete randomized blocks with three replications. For both years, the water and Napp had significant (P

Conflicting reports have found disease to sometimes be positively and sometimes negatively correlated with alcohol consumption. Here, the authors show that misreporting and reduction of alcohol consumption is associated with disease, leading to misleading associations between alcohol and disease.

Rapid and disordered urbanization has created a fragmented landscape, the urban–rural fringe (URF), which has led to the degradation of ecological connections between urban areas and rural hinterlands. The ecological security network (ESN) offers significant advantages for restoring interrupted urban–rural ecological processes. However, classic ESN construction approaches are ineffective in the URF when applied to a highly complex urbanization landscape. In this paper, a new approach for a stepwise ESN construction in the URF is proposed, which integrates the basic ESN and the connecting ESN to create an optimized ESN. Taking Xiamen as a case study, the ecological elements of the URF were extracted and reclassified for ESN construction. The scarcity of transitional patches and complexity of land cover were responsible for the lack of urban–rural connecting corridors. The final optimized ESN consisted of 19 source nodes with 7 rural structural corridors, 22 urban–rural connecting corridors, and 8 urban structural corridors. Moreover, the structural performance and spatial coverage of the ESN were both significantly improved after optimization. The optimal buffer widths of rural structural, urban–rural connecting, and urban structural corridors were 600 m, 180 m, and 120 m, respectively. This paper provides an operational framework of ESN construction adapted for the URF as well as management guidance for policymakers. It can support decisions for regulating urban growth and outlining ecological protection areas, thus contributing to sustainable urban development.

We present a density functional theory study on the electronic structures and magnetism of IIIA-nitride (AlN, GaN and InN) monolayer doped with Ag atoms. The results show that the IIIA-nitride binary compounds doped with low concentrations of Ag atoms are spin-polarized with 2.0 µB. Among them, single layer AlN and GaN doped with Ag atoms both demonstrate two possible ground states: ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic. In contrast, Ag-doped InN monolayer only exhibits ferromagnetic ground state with half-metallicity. Moreover, different doping concentration of Ag atoms results into various half-metal band-gaps. With increasing the concentration of Ag atoms, the energy gap of corresponding system significantly decreases. Under some suitable concentrations and sites of doped-Ag atoms, robust room-temperature ferromagnetism even can be realized in these systems. The above work shows a rich variety of electronic and magnetic properties in IIIA-nitride monolayer induced by Ag doping, which provides a simple and effective method to design new electronic and spintronic devices based on layered nanomaterials.

AIM: To contrast the visual acuity and visual quality after implantation of regional refraction multifocal IOL and aspheric unifocal IOL.METHODS: The study enrolled 82 cases(96 eyes)of age-related cataract patients, underwent phacoemulsification surgery in our hospital. According to the intraoperative intraocular lens implantation type, they were divided into two groups: the observation group(46 cases, 53 eyes, implanted with Oculentis MF30 regional refractive multifocal IOL)and the control group(36 cases, 43 eyes, implanted with ADAPT AO aspherical unifocal IOL). The total visual acuity and visual quality 3mo after operation were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Three months after surgery, compared with the control group, the observation group had significantly improved near and middle vision, significantly increased contrast sensitivity, significantly increased modulation transfer function cutoff frequency, Strehl ratio, objective scatter index and OQAS values, significantly decreased VF-12-CN score(38.16±4.05 vs 45.72±4.69), and significantly increased desorption rate score(11.38±1.04 vs 9.23±0.87)and surgical satisfaction score(3.57±0.36 vs 3.32±0.31)(P65 years old, illiteracy, uncorrected distant visual acuity of good eye ≥0.1(LogMAR), implantation of aspheric unifocal IOL are the influencing factors of the quality of life of cataract patients. CONCLUSION: Compared with aspheric unifocal IOL, Oculentis regional refraction multifocal IOL can provide good overall vision in the short term after operation, and the contrast sensitivity, visual quality, quality of life, glasses removal rate and satisfaction are significantly improved.

Abstract Esophageal cancer (ECa) remains a major cause of mortality across the globe. The expression of EIF3J-AS1 is altered in a plethora of tumors, but its role in ECa development and progression are undefined. Here, we show that EIF3J-AS1 is up-regulated in ECa and that its expression correlates with advanced TNM stage (P = 0.014), invasion depth (P = 0.001), positive lymph node metastasis (P

Abstract Background Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is an extremely rare subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that most commonly involves the central nervous system, skin, and bone marrow. To our knowledge, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive IVLBCL in the liver has never been reported in the literature. Case presentation We report a case of a 65-year-old Chinese man with complaint of fever for 18 days. No obvious abnormality was found by physical examination. Laboratory findings were notable for anemia, thrombocytopenia, and elevated level of serum lactate dehydrogenase. Bone marrow on smear, biopsy, and flow cytometry revealed no lymphoma. Imaging studies showed a slightly lower density lesion in the liver with high fluorodeoxyglucose uptake and hepatosplenomegaly. Percutaneous liver biopsy revealed clustering of large atypical lymphocytes within the hepatic sinusoids. Immunohistochemically, these lymphoma cells were positive for CD20, PAX-5, MUM-1, BCL-6 and CD5, but negative for CD3 and CD10. Besides, Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA was detected in tumor cells by in situ hybridization. BCL-2, BCL-6 and MYC genes were intact tested by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis. The patient was diagnosed as IVLBCL and died after 1 month of hospitalization without receiving immunochemotherapy. Conclusions IVLBCL of the liver is a highly rare lymphoma with nonspecific manifestations and dismal prognosis. Full recognition of its clinicopathological features will help to better diagnose this disease.

Promoter-anchored chromatin interaction (PAI) is a mechanism by which gene expression is regulated, but methods to measure PAIs are costly and currently not scalable. Here, the authors develop an approach by which PAIs can be predicted using summary-level data from methylation QTL studies.

Vitamin D is a precursor of the steroid hormone 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, and its deficiency is associated with many adverse health outcomes. Here, Revez et al. perform a genome-wide association study for circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D in 417,580 individuals and test for potential causal relationships with other traits using Mendelian randomization.

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is a popular technique for elemental quantitative analysis in chemistry community, based on which, various methods are developed to determinate the concentrations of chemical samples. Despite the successful applications of the existing methods, they still struggle to obtain accurate samples analyses, due to their limited prediction capability, the complex compositions of samples and mutual interference of elements. In this paper, we propose a novel heterogeneous stacking ensemble learning model called Heterogeneous stACKing Ensemble Model LIBS (Hackem-LIBS) to achieve LIBS quantitative analysis with higher accuracy. Specifically, we propose a stacking ensemble learning framework consisting two stages. In the first stage, we train different heterogeneous component learners with multiple sub-training sets and pick out the optimal learners. In the second stage, we leverage the enhanced features predicted by the selected learners to train a stronger meta-learner, which is used to make the final prediction. In addition, we combine Genetic Algorithm (GA) with Sequential Forward Selection (SFS) to reduce the redundancy of training features, which ensures more effective learning and higher computation efficiency. Extensive experiments on two public benchmarks are conducted and the results show that our approach achieves better accuracy in determinating the concentrations of elements and is practically applicable to the quantitative analysis of complex chemical samples via the LIBS technique.

Delineating urban growth boundaries (UGBs) has been proved as an effective approach to constrain urban encroachment and achieve sustainable urban development. However, so far, many studies have not fully taken account of the ecosystem integrity in simulating the urban growth as well as the corresponding UGBs delineation. To bridge this research gap, this paper proposes an ESP-FLUS model to predict the future land use pattern with a comprehensive consideration of ecological protection. In this paper, on the one hand, the ecological security pattern (ESP) is integrated from four ecological aspects (i.e., hydrology, geology, biodiversity, and recreation) and classified into three levels (i.e., basic ESP, intermediate ESP, and optimal ESP). On the other hand, drawing on historical records, random forest coupled with Gini importance are applied to identify the driving factors in shaping the land use variation. Taking the classified ESP as the spatial constraint allied with the identified driving factors into a FLUS model, this paper predicts the urban growth in 2035 in a multi-scenario manner. By analysing the multi-scenario simulation results at both region and district levels, the possible urban planning option under the requirements of local master plans is suggested for sustainable urban development. Against a backdrop of an increasingly severe environmental crisis, this paper develops a new research paradigm to incorporate ESP into UGBs delineation as a way to shed light for urban planners on reaching the balance between eco-environment protection and socio-economic development.

ABSTRACT The gut virome is a reservoir of diverse symbiotic and pathogenic viruses coevolving with their hosts, and yet limited research has explored the gut viromes of highland-dwelling rare species. Using viral metagenomic analysis, the viral communities of the Phrynocephalus lizards living in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were investigated. Phage-encoded functional genes and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were analyzed. The viral communities of different lizard species were all predominated by bacteriophages, especially the Caudovirales order. The virome of Phrynocephalus erythrurus living around the Namtso Lake possessed a unique structure, with the greatest abundance of the Parvoviridae family and the highest number of exclusive viral species. Several vertebrate-infecting viruses were discovered, including caliciviruses, astroviruses, and parvoviruses. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that the virus hallmark genes of bacteriophages possessed high genetic diversity. After functional annotation, the majority of phage-associated functional genes were classified in the energy metabolism category. In addition, plenty of ARGs belonging to the multidrug category were discovered, and five ARGs were exclusive to the virome from Phrynocephalus theobaldi. This study provided the first insight into the structure and function of the virome in highland lizards, contributing to the protection of threatened lizard species. Also, our research is of exemplary significance for the gut virome research of lizard species and other cold-blooded and highland-dwelling animals, prompting a better understanding of the interspecific differences and transmission of commensal viruses. IMPORTANCE The Phrynocephalus lizards inhabiting the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) are considered to be the highest-altitude lizard species in the world, and they have been added to the IUCN list of threatened species. Living in the QTP with hypoxic, arid, natural conditions, the lizards presented a unique pattern of gut virome, which could provide both positive and negative effects, such as the enrichment of functional genes and the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). This work provides the foundation for further research on the gut virome in these endangered lizard species and other cold-blooded and highland-dwelling animals, contributing to the maintenance of ecological balance on the plateau.

After nitrogen treatments, plant leaves become narrower and thicker, and the chlorophyll content increases. However, the molecular mechanisms behind these regulations remain unknown. Here, we found that the changes in leaf width and thickness were largely compromised in the shade avoidance 3 (sav3) mutant. The SAV3 gene encodes an amino-transferase in the auxin biosynthesis pathway. Thus, the crosstalk between shade and nitrogen in Arabidopsis leaf development was investigated. Both hypocotyl elongation and leaf expansion promoted by the shade treatment were reduced by the high-N treatment; high-N-induced leaf narrowing and thickening were reduced by the shade treatment; and all of these developmental changes were largely compromised in the sav3 mutant. Shade treatment promoted SAV3 expression, while high-N treatment repressed SAV3 expression, which then increased or decreased auxin accumulation in cotyledons/leaves, respectively. SAV3 also regulates chlorophyll accumulation and nitrogen assimilation and thus may function as a master switch responsive to multiple environmental stimuli.

ObjectiveTo observe the differences in ocular biology between premature infants who had undergone retinal laser photocoagulation (LP) for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and full-term infants and to investigate the relationships between these differences and the development of the refractive state.MethodsThis retrospective, cross-sectional study included 25 children (50 eyes) who had undergone laser treatment for aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity (AP-ROP), ROP in zone I requiring treatment, or ROP in zone II requiring treatment in the posterior pole (laser group) and 29 full-term infants (58 eyes) who had not (control group). Basic information, spherical equivalent (SE), and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were collected from the two groups. Their mean ages were 7.32 ± 2.85 and 7.34 ± 2.57 years, respectively (t = −0.047, P = 0.96). Ocular biology data were measured using an IOL Master 700 instrument (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG) and the data were processed using MATLAB (R2016a, Mathworks Inc.). The data markers included central corneal thickness (CCT), anterior and posterior surface corneal curvature radius (CCR), anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT), lens anterior surface curvature radius, lens posterior surface curvature radius, and eye axis length (AL). Optometric data were collected simultaneously and all BCVA values were converted to the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR) for analysis. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software (V.23.0). Independent sample t-tests were used for the assessment of ocular biology and refractive indices in both groups of children and Pearson correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the correlations between age, gestational age at birth and ocular biology structural parameters. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsComparisons of ocular biomarkers, refractive status, and BCVA between children in the laser and control groups showed relationships among ocular biomarkers, including the corneal-related parameters of CCT (0.54 ± 0.04 mm and 0.56 ± 0.03 mm, t = −2.116, P < 0.05), anterior surface CCR (7.53 ± 0.33 mm and 7.84 ± 0.30 mm, t = −5.063, P < 0.05), posterior surface CCR (6.75 ± 0.34 mm and 7.03 ± 0.24 mm, t = −4.864, P < 0.05); as well as those related to anterior chamber depth (ACD) were 3.24 ± 0.26 mm and 3.64 ± 0.26 mm, respectively (t = −8.065, P < 0.05), lens-related parameters (LT) were 3.80 ± 0.19 mm and 3.45 ± 0.16 mm, respectively (t = 10.514, P < 0.05); anterior lens surface curvature radius were 10.02 ± 0.93 mm and 10.52 ± 0.85 mm, respectively (t = −2.962, P < 0.05); posterior lens surface curvature radius were 5.55 ± 0.51 mm and 5.80 ± 0.36 mm, respectively (t = −2.917, P < 0.05), and ocular axis (AL) were 22.60 ± 1.42 mm and 23.45 ± 1.23 mm, respectively (t = −3.332, P < 0.05). Moreover, comparison of refractive status and BCVA between two groups of children showed an SE of −1.23 ± 3.38 D and −0.07 ± 2.00 D (t = −2.206, P < 0.05) and LogMAR (BCVA) of 0.12 ± 0.13 and 0.05 ± 0.11 (t = 3.070, P < 0.05). Analysis of the correlations between age and ocular biomarkers and refractive status of children in the laser and control groups showed correlations between age and ocular biomarkers in the two groups, in which age in the laser group was positively correlated with AL (r = 0.625, P < 0.05) but not with other biomarkers (P > 0.05). Age in the control group was negatively correlated with CCT, ACD, and AL (r = 0.303, 0.468, 0.703, P < 0.05), as well as with LT (r = −0.555, P < 0.05), with no correlation with other biomarkers (P > 0.05). Analysis of the correlation between age and refractive status of children in both groups showed that the age of children in both laser and control groups was negatively correlated with SE (r = −0.528, −0.655, P < 0.05) and LogMAR (BCVA) (r = −0.538, −0.542, P < 0.05). Analysis of the correlations between refractive status and ocular biomarkers in children in the laser and control groups showed that the refractive status in children in the laser group was negatively correlated with AL (r = −0.773, P < 0.05) but not with other biomarkers in this group (P > 0.05). The refractive status of children in the control group was negatively correlated with ACD and AL (r = −0.469, −0.734, P < 0.05), positively correlated with LT (r = 0.364, P < 0.05), and was not correlated with other biomarkers in this group (P > 0.05). Analysis of the correlations of gestational age at birth with ocular biomarkers and refractive status in children in the laser group showed a positive correlation between gestational age at birth and AL (r = 0.435, P < 0.05) but no other correlations with the other biomarkers (P > 0.05). Moreover, gestational age at birth was negatively correlated with SE (r = −0.334, P < 0.05) and LogMAR (BCVA) (r = −0.307, P < 0.05) in children in the laser group.ConclusionsCompared to full-term infants, the development of CCT, ACD, LT, and AL was relatively delayed after ROP laser surgery, resulting in thin central corneal thickness, steep corneas, shallow anterior chambers, thicker lenses, “rounder” lens morphology, increased refractive power, and short eye axes, leading to the development of myopia. The changes in refractive status were mainly influenced by increased lens thickness. The results of this study showed that the lower the gestational age at birth, the greater the effects on emmetropization in children after ROP, and the more likely the development of myopia.

Many experimental observations have shown remarkably large or even giant spectral splitting in strongly-coupled micro/nanocavity-atom systems. Popularly, such a spectral splitting has been attributed to the Rabi splitting, a pure quantum mechanical effect. However, there are disputes regarding whether the spectral splitting caused by multiple emitters, such as excitons in J-aggregate of molecules, is a pure quantum effect or also contributed by classical optical effect. In this work, we address this difficult problem by building a model physical system of a practical Fabry-Perot high-Q optical microcavity involving Lorentz-dispersion atoms. Very interestingly, by performing evaluation and estimate upon several strongly-coupled cavity-atom systems, we have found that the classical optical splitting and quantum Rabi splitting can be in the same order of magnitude. Our studies clearly indicate that the phenomenon of “giant Rabi splitting” that has been extensively observed in many experiments can also be caused by classic optical effects in addition to quantum mechanical effect. In some cases, the contribution by classic optical effects may be comparable to or even exceeding the contribution from quantum effects. We expect that this work can constructing the true and complete physics picture underlying strong light-matter interaction in a micro/nanocavity system.

The Apriori algorithm is used to conduct an in-depth analysis and research on the relationship between data mining and penalty decision of multiattribute data in the basketball game scene. The technical and tactical features are analyzed using an improved Apriori algorithm for association rule analysis of basketball game data. The algorithm generates association rules based on mining the set of frequent items among basketball technical actions. The improved algorithm can mine the technical moves that are more connected in the game data, and the analysis results are highly instructive. The technical and tactical directed analysis is divided into two parts: technical and tactical directed action analysis and technical and tactical directed cooperation analysis. The key action analysis uses Markov process-based data mining algorithm to analyze the basketball game data for key score transfer steps and key score loss transfer steps. The algorithm can find the key actions of scoring and key actions of conceding points in the game process, and the analysis results can guide basketball training and games, which has high practical value. Using the collated game data as the independent variable and the number of games won and lost as the dependent variable, logistic regression analysis is applied to derive the characteristics that affect winning. Again, the decision tree algorithm is used to select the significant features that affect winning and to make predictions of team performance. Finally, the technical statistics of the main players in the last three seasons are selected, and the association rule algorithm is applied to derive the degree of influence of player performance on the outcome of the game.

When the free end of a microcantilever is modified by a genetic probe, this sensor can be used for a wider range of applications, such as for chemical analysis, biological testing, pharmaceutical screening, and environmental monitoring. In this paper, to clarify the preparation and detection process of a microcantilever sensor with genetic probe modification, the core procedures, such as probe immobilization, complementary hybridization, and signal extraction and processing, are combined and compared. Then, to reveal the microcantilever’s detection mechanism and analysis, the influencing factors of testing results, the theoretical research, including the deflection principle, the establishment and verification of a detection model, as well as environmental influencing factors are summarized. Next, to demonstrate the application results of the genetic-probe-modified sensors, based on the classification of detection targets, the application status of other substances except nucleic acid, virus, bacteria and cells is not introduced. Finally, by enumerating the application results of a genetic-probe-modified microcantilever combined with a microfluidic chip, the future development direction of this technology is surveyed. It is hoped that this review will contribute to the future design of a genetic-probe-modified microcantilever, with further exploration of the sensitive mechanism, optimization of the design and processing methods, expansion of the application fields, and promotion of practical application.

Abstract Background Tetraploid Thinopyrum elongatum (2n = 4x = 28) is a promising source of useful genes, including those related to adaptability and resistance to diverse biotic (Fusarium head blight, rust, powdery mildew, and yellow dwarf virus) and abiotic (cold, drought, and salt) stresses. However, gene transfer rates are low for this species and relatively few species-specific molecular markers are available. Results The wheat-tetraploid Th. elongatum line K17–841-1 derived from a cross between a hexaploid Trititrigia and Sichuan wheat cultivars was characterized based on sequential genomic and fluorescence in situ hybridizations and simple sequence repeat markers. We revealed that K17–841-1 is a 1E (1D) chromosomal substitution line that is highly resistant to stripe rust pathogen strains prevalent in China. By comparing the sequences generated during genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), we obtained 597 specific fragments on the 1E chromosome of tetraploid Th. elongatum. A total of 235 primers were designed and 165 new Th. elongatum-specific markers were developed, with an efficiency of up to 70%. Marker validation analyses indicated that 25 specific markers can discriminate between the tetraploid Th. elongatum chromosomes and the chromosomes of other wheat-related species. An evaluation of the utility of these markers in a F2 breeding population suggested these markers are linked to the stripe rust resistance gene on chromosome 1E. Furthermore, 28 markers are unique to diploid Th. elongatum, tetraploid Th. elongatum, or decaploid Thinopyrum ponticum, which carry the E genome. Finally, 48 and 74 markers revealed polymorphisms between Thinopyrum E-genome- containing species and Thinopyrum bessarabicum (Eb) and Pseudoroegneria libanotica (St), respectively. Conclusions This new substitution line provide appropriate bridge–breeding–materials for alien gene introgression to improve wheat stripe rust resistance. The markers developed using GBS technology in this study may be useful for the high-throughput and accurate detection of tetraploid Th. elongatum DNA in diverse materials. They may also be relevant for investigating the genetic differences and phylogenetic relationships among E, Eb, St, and other closely-related genomes and for further characterizing these complex species.

Abstract Background Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by the fungus Fusarium graminearum Schwabe and stripe rust caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici are devastating diseases that affect wheat production worldwide. The use of disease-resistant genes and cultivars is the most effective means of reducing fungicide applications to combat these diseases. Elymus repens (2n = 6x = 42, StStStStHH) is a potentially useful germplasm of FHB and stripe rust resistance for wheat improvement. Results Here, we report the development and characterization of two wheat–E. repens lines derived from the progeny of common wheat–E. repens hybrids. Cytological studies indicated that the mean chromosome configuration of K15–1192-2 and K15–1194-2 at meiosis were 2n = 42 = 0.86 I + 17.46 II (ring) + 3.11 II (rod) and 2n = 42 = 2.45 I + 14.17 II (ring) + 5.50 II (rod) + 0.07 III, respectively. Genomic and fluorescence in situ hybridization karyotyping and simple sequence repeats markers revealed that K15–1192-2 was a wheat–E. repens 3D/?St double terminal chromosomal translocation line. Line K15–1194-2 was identified as harboring a pair of 7DS/?StL Robertsonian translocations and one 3D/?St double terminal translocational chromosome. Further analyses using specific expressed sequence tag-SSR markers confirmed that the wheat–E. repens translocations involved the 3St chromatin in both lines. Furthermore, compared with the wheat parent Chuannong16, K15–1192-2 and K15–1194-2 expressed high levels of resistance to FHB and stripe rust pathogens prevalent in China. Conclusions Thus, this study has determined that the chromosome 3St of E. repens harbors gene(s) highly resistant to FHB and stripe rust, and chromatin of 3St introgressed into wheat chromosomes completely presented the resistance, indicating the feasibility of using these translocation lines as novel material for breeding resistant wheat cultivars and alien gene mining.

As an essential plant micronutrient, copper (Cu) is required as a component of several enzymes, but it can be highly toxic to plants when present in excess quantities. Nitrogen (N) application can help to alleviate the phytotoxic effects of heavy metals, including Cu, and different N forms significantly affect the uptake and accumulation of heavy metals in plants. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different N forms, i.e., ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−), on Cu detoxification in wheat seedlings. The inhibition of seedling growth under excess Cu was more obvious in wheat plants supplied with NO3− than in those supplied with NH4+. This growth inhibition was directly induced by excess Cu accumulation and reduced absorption of other mineral nutrients by the plants. Compared with seedlings treated with NO3−, those treated with NH4+ showed a decrease in Cu-induced toxicity as a result of increased antioxidant capacity in the leaves and a lower redox potential in the rhizosphere. Furthermore, treatment with NH4+ decreased the loss of mineral nutrients in wheat seedlings exposed to excess Cu. In conclusion, compared with supplying NO3−, supplying NH4+ to wheat seedlings under Cu stress improved their ability to maintain their nutritional and redox balance and increased their antioxidant capacity, thereby preventing a decline in photosynthesis. According to our results, NH4+ is more effective than NO3− in reducing Cu phytotoxicity in wheat seedlings.

Early maturation is an important objective in wheat breeding programs that could facilitate multiple-cropping systems, decrease disaster- and disease-related losses, ensure stable wheat production, and increase economic benefits. Exploitation of novel germplasm from wild relatives of wheat is an effective means of breeding for early maturity. Psathyrostachys huashanica Keng f. ex P. C. KUO (2n=2x=14, NsNs) is a promising source of useful genes for wheat genetic improvement. In this study, we characterized a novel wheat-P. huashanica line, DT23, derived from distant hybridization between common wheat and P. huashanica. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and sequential genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) analyses indicated that DT23 is a stable wheat-P. huashanica ditelosomic addition line. FISH painting and PCR-based landmark unique gene markers analyses further revealed that DT23 is a wheat-P. huashanica 7Ns ditelosomic addition line. Observation of spike differentiation and the growth period revealed that DT23 exhibited earlier maturation than the wheat parents. This is the first report of new earliness per se (Eps) gene(s) probably associated with a group 7 chromosome of P. huashanica. Based on specific locus-amplified fragment sequencing technology, 45 new specific molecular markers and 19 specific FISH probes were developed for the P. huashanica 7Ns chromosome. Marker validation analyses revealed that two specific markers distinguished the Ns genome chromosomes of P. huashanica and the chromosomes of other wheat-related species. These newly developed FISH probes specifically detected Ns genome chromosomes of P. huashanica in the wheat background. The DT23 line will be useful for breeding early maturing wheat. The specific markers and FISH probes developed in this study can be used to detect and trace P. huashanica chromosomes and chromosomal segments carrying elite genes in diverse materials.

Evapotranspiration (ET) is an essential component of the land–atmosphere water cycle. In this work, the trend of ET and its dominant factors during 1982 to 2011 are investigated in the northern drought-prone belt of China (NDPB) based on five datasets, including the gridded FLUXNET, using the Pearson correlation and linear regression methods. Specially, we focus on the increasing contribution of vegetation in the change of ET. During 1982–2011, summer ET significantly increased at the rate of 0.33 mm/year (p < 0.05) in the NDPB. However, similar to global-mean ET, the ET in NDPB also experienced a pronounced fluctuation during 1999 and 2002. The role of water supply differed remarkably before and after the fluctuation while the atmospheric demand maintained weak constraint on ET. Before the fluctuation (during 1982–2000), ET correlated significantly (p < 0.01) and positively with soil moisture, indicating ET was primarily limited by water supply. However, their correlation weakened remarkably after the fluctuation when soil moisture decreased to the lowest level for the past thirty years, indicating that neither moisture supply nor atmospheric demand dominated the ET during this period. In contrast, vegetation leaf area index (LAI) maintained consistent significant (p < 0.01) and positive correlation with ET before and after the fluctuation in the NDPB, and it reflected over 60% of the change in ET. Moreover, the LAI in NDPB increased by 19.6% which was more than double of the global-mean increase. The ET increase due to rising LAI offset the ET decrease due to reduction of soil moisture, and vegetation became the primary constraint on ET during 2001–2011. The expansion of vegetation may intensify the risk of drought and cause conflicting demands for water between the ecosystem and humans in the NDPB, especially in the case of weak summer monsoon.

With the massive application of IoT and sensor technologies, the study of lightweight ciphers has become an important research topic. In this paper, an effective lightweight LZUC (lightweight Zu Chongzhi) cipher based on chaotic system is proposed to improve the traditional ZUC algorithm. In this method, a further algorithm is designed for the process of integrating chaos into the lightweighting of ZUC. For the first time, this design introduces the logistic chaotic system into both the LFSR (linear feedback shift register) and nonlinear F-function of the cryptographic algorithm. The improved LZUC algorithm not only achieves a certain effect in lightweighting, but also has good statistical properties and security of the output sequence. To verify the performance of the LZUC cipher, we performed NIST statistical tests and information entropy analysis on its output key streams and discussed the typical attacks on the algorithm’s resistance to weak key analysis, guess–determination analysis, time–stored data trade-off analysis, and algebraic analysis. In addition, we completed the design of an image security system using the LZUC cipher. Histogram analysis and correlation analysis are used to analyze both plaintext and ciphertext data. At the end of the article, the plaintext and ciphertext images displayed by LCD can be further visualized to verify the encryption effectiveness of the LZUC cipher.

Rapid urban expansion has strongly impacted rural development in China’s suburbs. The increasing probability of socio-ecosystem hazards, such as the shrinking and fragmentation of ecological space, the outflow of labor force, the disintegration of traditional society, and the decline in collective economy has become a systemic risk restricting the sustainable development of rural areas in the suburbs. At present, the influence of urban expansion on rural systemic risk in the suburbs is not clear, which is not conducive to putting forward differentiated and targeted strategies for rural revitalization. Therefore, in this study, we propose the ecological, industrial, social, and livelihood elements of rural systemic risk in the suburbs and construct a multi-dimensional risk resistance analysis framework involving functionality, stability, and sustainability. Taking 93 villages in the western suburbs of Tianjin as an example, and using spatial econometric methods such as remote sensing interpretation, GIS analysis, multiple linear regression, and random forest model testing, we analyze the relationship between external transportation construction, urban employment attraction, construction of land growth, rural risk factors, and the dimension of risk resistance. Finally, the influence of urban expansion on the spatial–temporal differentiation of rural systemic risk and the risk management strategy are discussed. The results show that the difference in the urban expansion intensities is the main factor of the spatial differentiation of rural systemic risk in the suburbs. With the acceleration of the land replacement rate between urban and rural areas, the proportion of urban construction of land is increasing, leading to various degrees of change in the rural land use pattern and the ecological security pattern. Meanwhile, because of the urban employment attraction, part of the rural labor force continues to decrease, leading to the spatial differentiation of rural industrial risks and social risks aggravated. Precise risk management strategies are put forward according to the systemic risks in different types of villages. In villages with a high proportion of urban construction land and inefficient land consolidation, ecological restoration projects should be carried out. For villages severely divided by transit roads, internal spatial connections should be strengthened by constructing public transport. For villages with good accessibility, the allocation of rural non-agricultural industries and service facilities should be strengthened to mitigate the impact of urban expansion on the rural social structure. From the perspective of risk management, the research results will provide a basis for making decisions regarding rural public policymaking and spatial resource allocation in the suburbs of developing countries.

Problems such as insufficient key space, lack of a one-time pad, and a simple encryption structure may emerge in existing encryption schemes. To solve these problems, and keep sensitive information safe, this paper proposes a plaintext-related color image encryption scheme. Firstly, a new five-dimensional hyperchaotic system is constructed in this paper, and its performance is analyzed. Secondly, this paper applies the Hopfield chaotic neural network together with the novel hyperchaotic system to propose a new encryption algorithm. The plaintext-related keys are generated by image chunking. The pseudo-random sequences iterated by the aforementioned systems are used as key streams. Therefore, the proposed pixel-level scrambling can be completed. Then the chaotic sequences are utilized to dynamically select the rules of DNA operations to complete the diffusion encryption. This paper also presents a series of security analyses of the proposed encryption scheme and compares it with other schemes to evaluate its performance. The results show that the key streams generated by the constructed hyperchaotic system and the Hopfield chaotic neural network improve the key space. The proposed encryption scheme provides a satisfying visual hiding result. Furthermore, it is resistant to a series of attacks and the problem of structural degradation caused by the simplicity of the encryption system’s structure.

Nowadays, it is increasingly necessary to improve the encryption and secure transmission performance of images. Therefore, in this paper, a bit-level permutation algorithm based on hyper chaos is proposed, with a newly constructed 5-D hyperchaotic system combined with DNA sequence encryption to achieve bit-wide permutation of plaintexts. The proposed 5-D hyperchaotic system has good chaotic dynamics, combining hyperchaotic sequence with bit-level permutation to enhance the pseudo-randomness of the plaintext image. We adopt a scheme of decomposing the plaintext color image into three matrices of R, G, and B, and performing block operations on them. The block matrix was DNA encoded, operated, and decoded. The DNA operation was also determined by the hyperchaotic sequence, and finally generated a ciphertext image. The result of the various security analyses prove that the ciphertext images generated by the algorithm have good distribution characteristics, which can not only resist differential attacks, but also have the advantages of large cryptographic space.

Various approaches are being used for polygenic prediction including Bayesian multiple regression methods that require access to individual-level genotype data. Here, the authors extend BayesR to utilise GWAS summary statistics (SBayesR) and show that it outperforms other summary statistic-based methods.

Dosage compensation (DC) on the X chromosome has predictable effects on genetic and phenotypic trait variance. Here, the authors use information for 20 quantitative traits in the UK Biobank and across-tissue gene expression to compare X-linked heritability and the effects of trait-associated SNPs between the sexes.

Summary: Coastal seas account for >50% of the biogenic silica (BSi) production in marine environments. However, BSi sinking is poorly understood. Here, seasonal variations in the abundance and sinking flux of BSi were investigated in Daya Bay, in the northern South China Sea. The highest BSi concentrations occurred in summer, averaging 8.04 ± 5.48 μmol L−1 (±SD), followed by autumn (5.51 ± 3.11 μmol L−1) and spring (3.76 ± 3.06 μmol L−1). The lowest BSi concentration of 2.93 ± 1.34 μmol L−1 was observed in winter. Based on 234Th/238U disequilibria, the average BSi sinking fluxes were 7.08 ± 8.62, 10.01 ± 13.95, and 8.30 ± 13.06 mmol Si m−2 d−1 in spring, summer, and autumn, respectively. The lowest flux of 4.19 ± 3.98 mmol Si m−2 d−1 was measured in winter. Together with nitrogen fluxes, the Si:N sinking ratios were 0.8:1.0, 1.5:1.0, 1.6:1.0, and 1.4:1.0 in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively, indicating that particle sinking induces the faster removal of Si compared to N in Daya Bay. Keywords: Biogenic silica, Dissolved silicate, Sinking flux, Thorium, Daya Bay

Abstract Background The SnRK2s (Plant specific protein kinase) are involved in various biological processes, such as plant defense and environmental challenges. In Arabidopsis, AtSnRK2s regulate the expression of some metal transporters. For example, AtSnRK2.4 plays a role in the regulation of Arabidopsis tolerance to Cd; AtSnRK2.2 and AtSnRK2.3 are involved in Cd uptake and translocation. However, the functions of their homologs, TpSnRK2.10 and TpSnRK2.11 from dwarf Polish wheat are unknown. Results TpSnRK2.11 encodes a cytoplasmic protein. TpSnRK2.10 and TpSnRK2.11 have different expression patterns at different growth stages. Expression of TpSnRK2.10 increased yeast’s sensitivity to Cd; conversely, expression of TpSnRK2.11 enhanced yeast’s tolerance to Cd. Overexpression of TpSnRK2.10 or TpSnRK2.11 did not affect Cd sensitivity in Arabidopsis, but significantly increased Cd accumulation in roots and shoots, and Cd translocation from roots to shoots. While, Fe accumulation was significantly increased in roots but decreased in shoots by overexpression of TpSnRK2.10; opposite results were observed in TpSnRK2.11-overexpressing lines. Subcellular distribution analysis found that overexpression of TpSnRK2.10 and TpSnRK2.11 increased Cd concentration in cell wall and organelle fractions of roots and shoots; meanwhile, they also differentially influenced Fe distribution. Conclusions These results indicated that TpSnRK2.10 and TpSnRK2.11 are involved in the uptakes and the translocations of Cd and Fe, possibly by regulating the expression of AtNRAMP1 and AtHMA4, and other genes involved in the synthesis of phytochelatins or hemicellolosic polysaccharides.