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Association mapping based on linkage disequilibrium is an effective approach for dissecting the inheritance of complex multi-gene traits. In the present study, association mapping was performed for yield traits based on 172 popular Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars in China and 331 polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The gene diversity index of 331 markers ranged from 0·0387 to 0·7799 with an average of 0·4002, and the polymorphism information content ranged from 0·0379 to 0·7473 with an average of 0·3375. A total of 93 significantly associated markers for seven yield traits were identified across more than one environment, among which 11 were for seed cotton yield, 12 for lint yield, 11 for boll number per plant, 13 for boll weight, 21 for lint percentage, 14 for lint index and 11 for seed index. The corresponding ranges in phenotypic variation explained by markers across four environments for these seven traits were 1·75–10·49, 1·75–9·34, 2·84–11·80, 2·59–9·89, 2·38–13·97, 2·73–14·82 and 2·50–11·88%, respectively. Some of the yield-associated markers detected were found to be linked to or associated with the same traits identified in previous studies. Furthermore, elite alleles for yield traits were also mined. The present study can provide useful information for further understanding the genetic basis of yield traits, and facilitate high-yield breeding by molecular design in Upland cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a two-step approach based on modal strain energy and response sensitivity analysis to identify the local damages in isotropic plates with moderate thickness. The first step focuses on detection of damage location. The local damage is simulated by a reduction in the elemental Young’s modulus of the plate. It is determined from the modal strain energy change ratio approach. A method to weaken the “vicinity effect” is proposed to reduce the false alarms in the localization of damage. In the second step, an approach based on response sensitivity-based finite element model updating is used to further identify the locations and extents of the local damages in time domain. The identified results are obtained iteratively with Tikhonov regularization using the measured structural dynamic responses. Two numerical examples are investigated to illustrate the correctness and efficiency of the proposed method. Both single and multiple damages can be identified successfully and the effect of measurement noise on the identification results is investigated. Good identified results can be obtained from the short time histories of a few number of measurement points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water in Nafion 115 membranes was replaced by imidazole and then doped with H3PO4 to form imidazole-H3PO4 complexes as proton solvent. Both the Nafion-imidazole and Nafion-imidazole-H3PO4 composite membranes exhibited higher proton conductivity than the plain Nafion membrane under anhydrous conditions at T > 100°C. Although the Nafion-imidazole membranes with Pt catalyst exhibit poor performance in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) at low temperatures (60 and 80°C) due to the poisoning of the Pt catalyst by imidazole, doping with H3PO4 improves the fuel cell performance significantly due to the suppression of imidazole poisoning through the formation of imidazolium salt with H3PO4. The imidazole poisoning could also be suppressed further by replacing the Pt catalyst with a newly developed Pd-Co-Mo catalyst. The Nafion-imidazole-H3PO4 membranes with the Pd-Co-Mo catalyst show performance superior to that of Nafion membrane with the Pt or Pd-Co-Mo catalyst in PEMFCs at 100°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the toxicity of tris (2-chloropropyl) phosphate (TCIPP) and tributyl phosphate (TnBP) on the growth and development of zebrafish embryos, as well as to explore the underlying mechanisms at the transcriptional level. Methods: With zebrafish as a model, two hpf zebrafish embryos were exposed to TCIPP and TnBP (0.1, 1, 10, 100, 500, and 1 000 μmol/L) using the semi-static method, and their rates of lethality and hatchability were determined. The transcriptome changes of 120 hpf juvenile zebrafish exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of 0.1 and 1 μmol/L were measured. Results: The 50% lethal concentrations (LC 50 ) of TCIPP and TnBP for zebrafish embryos were 155.30 and 27.62 μmol/L (96 hpf), 156.5 and 26.05 μmol/L (120 hpf), respectively. The 72 hpf hatching rates of TCIPP (100 μmol/L) and TnBP (10 μmol/L) were (23.33±7.72)% and (91.67±2.97)%, which were significantly decreased compared with the control group ( P <0.05). Transcriptome analysis showed that TnBP had more differential genes (DEGs) than TCIPP, with a dose-response relationship. These DEGs were enriched in 32 pathways in total, including those involved in oxidative stress, energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, and nuclear receptor-related pathways, using the IPA pathway analysis. Among them, three enriched pathways overlapped between TCIPP and TnBP, including TR/RXR activation and CAR/RXR activation. Additionally, DEGs were also mapped onto pathways of LXR/RXR activation and oxidative stress for TnBP exposure only. Conclusion: Both TCIPP and TnBP have growth and developmental toxicities in zebrafish embryos, with distinct biomolecular mechanisms, and TnBP has a stronger effect than TCIPP.

Organophosphate ester (OPEs) has been widely used as a substitute of brominated biphenyl ethers and other brominated flame retardant (BFRs), and their health effects and environmental impacts are widely concerned. This article systematically reviews the common types, metabolites, environmental occurrences, exposure pathways, levels, toxic effects and biomarkers of OPEs, in order to explore the relationships between OPEs exposures and biomarkers, to reveal the potential mechanisms of health effects, and to provide references and scientific basis for the health effects of OPEs exposure in China.

Objective: To analyze the characteristics and citations of articles in Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine from 2014 to 2017, and discuss the academic level and quality of the journal. Methods: All the literatures published in Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine from 2014 to 2017 were retrieved through the Chinese Medical Citation index, and the citation frequency data in China's core journals of science and technology from 2014 to 2018 was obtained through Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China. The citation status of articles published in Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine was statistically analyzed by the scientometric method. The main indicators included the citation rate of articles published in each year, the citation frequency of all articles, the citation status of individual papers and authors, the regional and high-yield institution distribution of cited authors, and the main citation journals. Results: From 2014 to 2017, a total of 929 articles were published in 19 columns of Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine, and the number of each year was 253 (27.23%), 231 (24.87%), 224 (24.11%) and 221 (23.79%), respectively. The total number of published pages was 3 564, and the average number of articles was 3.45 pages. A total of 28 key topics have been published. The total citation was 3 861 times, with 4.16 times per paper. Among them, 161 papers were not cited，accounting for 17.33%. The maximum citation frequency of a single paper was 49 times. There were good citations in the columns of original article and methodology introduction. There was no correlation between fund project support and paper citation. But the cited rate (93.67%) and cited frequency of special issue ［ M ( P 25 , P 75 )=3 (1, 6)］ were higher compared with the cited rate (80.42%; χ 2 =16.08, P <0.001) and cited frequency ［ M ( P 25 , P 75 )=2 (1, 6); Z =2.56, P= 0.010] of free-lance articles. A total of 15 authors were cited more than 25 times, and 15 articles were cited more than 20 times. There were 213 institutions involved in the 768 cited papers, among which 12 institutions were cited more than 50 times. The authors of the cited papers were distributed in 28 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government). From 2014 to 2018, a total of 281 journals cited the papers published in our journal, of which 12 journals cited more than 50 times. Conclusion: The quality of the literature in Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine is high and the journal has a strong influence in the field of preventive medicine and public health in China. The editorial department should adjust the column setting timely, strengthen the planning of key topic selection and the solicitation and publicity of excellent papers, reduce the number of papers cited by zero, and further improve the influence of the magazine.

Objective: To use growth curve model methods to investigate which of 46 variables associated with fibromyalgia (FM) clinical trials are potentially useful in measuring change., Methods: For each of the 46 variables the reliability of change and corresponding standard error were estimated. Data were from a randomized clinical trial designed to compare the effectiveness of biofeedback/relaxation, exercise, and a combined program for the treatment of FM. There was also a control group., Results: The reliabilities of change for the outcome variables Myalgic Score, Tenderpoint Count, and Tenderpoint Index, as well as the variable, number of words chosen from the McGill Pain Questionnaire were quite acceptable for both the 18 and 58 week time periods. There were 9 other variables that had reliabilities of change in the acceptable range., Conclusion: Thirteen of 46 variables considered had desirable reliabilities of change by the methods used. The 3 variables often used as measures of disease activity as well as one pain variable were among the 13. Data from this study produced no acceptable reliabilities of change for the 33 other variables. For these variables, further evaluation is required.

The effects of ouabain on the effectiveness of glycine, Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, and Cs+ in the external medium in reducing the rate of entry of labeled Cs+ into frog sartorius muscles were studied. The results showed that in the absence of ouabain the effectiveness of glycine and alkali-metal ions in inhibiting labeled Cs+ entry follows the rank order: K+ greater than Cs+, Rb+ greater than Na+, Li+ greater than glycine. Exposure to ouabain in essence reverses this order which then becomes: glycine greater than Li+, Na+ greater than K+, Rb+, greater than Cs+. These results confirm the prediction of the basic electronic interpretation of drug action according to the association-induction hypothesis. In addition, it shows that the action of ouabain on the surface beta- and gamma-carboxyl groups of frog muscle mediating Cs+ entry is quite similar to its action on the cytoplasmic beta- and gamma-carboxyl groups that are the seats of K+ accumulation in the bulk phase cytoplasm as well as to its action on the cell surface beta- and gamma-carboxyl groups responsible for the generation of the resting potential. In all these cases, ouabain acts as an electron-donating cardinal adsorbent (EDC). Finally the marked increase of the binding strength of glycine on the surface beta- and gamma-carboxyl groups was used to explain the primary pharmacodynamic effect of cardiac glycosides in combating heart failure.

Ouabain enhanced the inhibitory effects of Li+, Na+, and K+ on the rate of Cs+ permeation into frog ovarian eggs while it reduced the inhibiting effect of Rb+. The data agree with earlier demonstrated effects of ouabain on the rank order of selective accumulation of the five alkali-metals in frog muscles and on the relative effectiveness of glycine, Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, and Cs+ in inhibiting the rate of entry of Cs+ into frog sartorius muscle. In all three cases, the ouabain behaved as an electron-donating cardinal adsorbent (EDC) causing a rise of the electron density (c-value) of the beta- and gamma-carboxyl groups in the cell cytoplasm (for selective accumulation) and on the cell surface (for selective ion permeation). Explanations based on the association-induction hypothesis were offered why an EDC like ouabain does not initiate cell activation (like veratridine does) and why Ca++ and tetradotoxin delays or inhibits physiological and artificial cell activation.