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Parameter identification involves the estimation of undisclosed parameters within a system based on observed data and mathematical models. In this investigation, we employ DAISY to meticulously examine the structural identifiability of parameters of a within-host SARS-CoV-2 epidemic model, taking into account an array of observable datasets. Furthermore, Monte Carlo simulations are performed to offer a comprehensive practical analysis of model parameters. Lastly, sensitivity analysis is employed to ascertain that decreasing the replication rate of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and curbing the infectious period are the most efficacious measures in alleviating the dissemination of COVID-19 amongst hosts.

Abstract Objective Subcortical nuclei such as the thalamus and striatum have been shown to be related to seizure modulation and termination, especially in drug‐resistant epilepsy. Enhance diffusion‐weighted imaging (eDWI) technique and tri‐component model have been used in previous studies to calculate apparent diffusion coefficient from ultra high b‐values (ADCuh). This study aimed to explore the alterations of ADCuh in the bilateral thalamus and striatum in MRI‐negative drug‐resistant epilepsy. Methods Twenty‐nine patients with MRI‐negative drug‐resistant epilepsy and 18 healthy controls underwent eDWI scan with 15 b‐values (0–5000 s/mm2). The eDWI parameters including standard ADC (ADCst), pure water diffusion (D), and ADCuh were calculated from the 15 b‐values. Regions‐of‐interest (ROIs) analyses were conducted in the bilateral thalamus, caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus. ADCst, D, and ADCuh values were compared between the MRI‐negative drug‐resistant epilepsy patients and controls using multivariate generalized linear models. Inter‐rater reliability was assessed using the intra‐class correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland–Altman (BA) analysis. False discovery rate (FDR) method was applied for multiple comparisons correction. Results ADCuh values in the bilateral thalamus, caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus in MRI‐negative drug‐resistant epilepsy were significantly higher than those in the healthy control subjects (all p

This study aimed to establish a time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay method for the simultaneous quantitative detection of fumonisin B1, B2 and B3 in corn. The EDC/NHS active ester method was used to prepare time-resolved fluorescent microspheres and fumonisin antibody conjugates. Fumonisin antigen was immobilized on a nitrocellulose membrane as the test line. By optimizing the number of test line, a competitive immunoassay method for detecting fumonisin was eventually established. Subsequently, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, precision, and correlation with the national standard method were evaluated for the established method. The detection limits of the established method by using two test line pattern were 107.68~168.28 μg/kg, and the quantification limits were 283.46~444.63 μg/kg. The cross-reactivity with fumonisin B1, fumonisin B2 and fumonisin B3 were 100%, 85.59% and 72.72%, respectively, and no significant cross-reactivity was observed with five other common mycotoxins. The recovery rates ranged from 88.37% to 117.42%, and the coefficients of variation were lower than 10%. The conformity of the results obtained by the established method, as compared to the immunoaffinity column purification-high performance liquid chromatography (IAC-HPLC) method specified in the national standard GB 5009.240-2016, fell within the range of 92.17% to 107.21%. The established time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay method meets the requirements for rapid on-site quantitative detection of fumonisin B1, B2 and B3 in corn.

Abstract Pleiotropy is frequently detected in agronomic traits of wheat (Triticum aestivum). A locus on chromosome 4B, QTn/Ptn/Sl/Sns/Al/Tgw/Gl/Gw.caas-4B, proved to show pleiotropic effects on tiller, spike, and grain traits using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of Qingxinmai × 041133. The allele from Qingxinmai increased tiller numbers, and the allele from line 041133 produced better performances of spike traits and grain traits. Another 52 QTL for the eight traits investigated were detected on 18 chromosomes, except for chromosomes 5D, 6D, and 7B. Several genes in the genomic interval of the locus on chromosome 4B were differentially expressed in crown and inflorescence samples between Qingxinmai and line 041133. The development of the KASP marker specific for the locus on chromosome 4B is useful for molecular marker-assisted selection in wheat breeding.

Purpose: To assess the clinical benefits of surface-guided radiation therapy (SGRT) in terms of setup error, positioning time, and clinical target volume-to-planning target volume (CTV-PTV) margin in extremity soft tissue sarcoma (STS). Methods and Materials: Fifty consecutive patients treated with radiation therapy were selected retrospectively. Treatment setup was performed with either laser-based imaging only (control group), or with laser-based and daily optical surface-based imaging (SGRT group). Pretreatment cone beam computed tomography images were acquired daily for the first 3 to 5 fractions and weekly thereafter, with the frequency adjusted as necessary. Translational and rotational errors were collected. CTV-PTV margin was calculated using the formula, 2.5Σ + 0.7σ. Results: Each group consisted of 10 and 15 upper and lower limb STSs, respectively. For patients with upper limb sarcomas, the translation errors were 1.64 ± 1.34 mm, 1.10 ± 1.50 mm, and 1.24 ± 1.45 mm in the SGRT group, and 1.48 ± 3.16 mm, 2.84 ± 2.85 mm, and 3.14 ± 3.29 mm in control group in the left-right, supero-inferior, and antero-posterior directions, respectively. Correspondingly, for patients with lower limb sarcomas, the translation errors were 1.21 ± 1.65 mm, 1.39 ± 1.71 mm, and 1.48 ± 2.10 mm in the SGRT group, and 1.81 ± 2.60 mm, 2.93 ± 3.28 mm, and 3.53 ± 3.75 mm in control group, respectively. The calculated CTV-PTV margins of the SGRT group and control group were 5.0, 3.8, 4.1 versus 5.9, 9.1, 10.1 mm for upper limb sarcomas; and 4.2, 4.7, 5.2 mm versus 6.3, 9.6, and 11.4 mm for lower limb sarcomas in the left-right, supero-inferior, and antero-posterior directions, respectively. Conclusions: Daily optical surface guidance can effectively improve the setup accuracy of extremity STS patients, and safely reduce the required CTV-PTV margins.

Background: STIL is an important cell cycle-regulating protein specifically recruited to the mitotic centrosome to promote the replication of centrioles in dividing cells. However, the potential role of STIL in the regulation of the biological functions of triple-negative breast cancer remains still unclear. Methods: We screened for differentially expressed STIL in the Cancer Genome Atlas database. The expression of STIL protein in 10 pairs of breast cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues was further assessed by western blotting. Functionally, the knockdown and overexpression of STIL have been used to explore the effects of STIL on breast cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Mechanistically, RNA-seq, dual-luciferase reporter assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, mass spectrometry, immunoprecipitation assay, and DNA pull-down assay were performed. Results: Breast cancer tissues and cells have higher STIL expression than normal tissues and cells. STIL knockdown impairs breast cancer cell growth, migration, and invasion, whereas STIL overexpression accelerates these processes. STIL promotes breast cancer progression by regulating FANCD2 expression, and exploration of its molecular mechanism demonstrated that STIL interacts with KLF16 to regulate the expression of FANCD2. Conclusions: Collectively, our findings identified STIL as a critical promoter of breast cancer progression that interacts with KLF16 to regulate Fanconi anemia pathway protein FANCD2. In summary, STIL is a potential novel biomarker and therapeutic target for breast cancer.

Background and purposeCurrent studies have substantiated the sparing effect of ultra-high dose rate irradiation (FLASH) in various organs including the brain, lungs, and intestines. Whether this sparing effect extends to esophageal tissue remains unexplored. This study aims to compare the different responses of esophageal tissue in histological and protein expression levels following conventional dose rate irradiation (CONV) and FLASH irradiation to ascertain the presence of a sparing effect.Methods and materialsC57 female mice were randomly divided into three groups: control, CONV, and FLASH groups. The chest region of the mice in the radiation groups was exposed to a prescribed dose of 20 Gy using a modified electron linear accelerator. The CONV group received an average dose rate of 0.1 Gy/s, while the FLASH group received an average dose rate of 125 Gy/s. On the 10th day after irradiation, the mice were euthanized and their esophagi were collected for histopathological analysis. Subsequently, label-free proteomic quantification analysis was performed on esophageal tissue. The validation process involved analyzing transmission electron microscopy images and utilizing the parallel reaction monitoring method.ResultsHistopathology results indicated a significantly lower extent of esophageal tissue damage in the FLASH group compared to the CONV group (p < 0.05). Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis revealed that the sparing effect observed in the FLASH group may be attributed to a reduction in radiation-induced protein damage associated with mitochondrial functions, including proteins involved in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, as well as a decrease in acute inflammatory responses.ConclusionsCompared with CONV irradiation, a sparing effect on esophageal tissue can be observed after FLASH irradiation. This sparing effect is associated with alleviated mitochondria damage and acute inflammation.

Drought-resistant plants exhibit strong water retention capability. In this regard, the autotetraploid sour jujube leaves exhibit better water retention than diploid leaves. Morphological comparisons and physiological comparisons of diploid and autotetraploid leaves showed that the autotetraploid leaves had thicker leaf cuticles and more leaf wax accumulation than the diploid leaves, which could reduce cuticle permeability and improve the drought tolerance of leaves. In this study, the cuticular wax crystalloids on the adaxial and abaxial sides of young and mature jujube leaves were observed in the two ploidy types, and unique cuticular wax crystalloids covering a large area of the cuticle on autotetraploid sour jujube leaves may provide an advantage in reducing leaf non-stomata transpiration and improving plant drought tolerance. Based on the transcriptome, 115 differentially expressed genes between diploids and autotetraploids were further analyzed and found to be involved in the accumulation of cuticular wax components, including terpenoids, fatty acids, and lipids, as well as ABC transporter and wax biosynthetic process. Finally, 14 genes differentially expressed between glossy autotetraploid leaves and nonglossy diploid leaves, such as LOC107414787, LOC107411574 and LOC107413721, were screened as candidate genes by qRT-PCR analysis. This findings provided insights into how polyploidization improved drought tolerance.

Previous studies have demonstrated the beneficial impact of plants on the overall well-being of elderly individuals. However, there remains a gap in our understanding which specific plant species have a notable influence on the physical and mental health of the elderly population. Among the various woody ornamental plants used worldwide, crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) holds a growing significance in the natural environment. This study aimed to investigate the physiological parameters (such as blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and fingertip pulse) as well as psychological aspects (measured using positive and negative affect schedule scores and smile face scale) associated with crape myrtle observation activities. The finding revealed the following key points: 1) engaging in crape myrtle observation activities significantly enhanced the physical and mental well-being of elderly participants; 2) the impact of observing crape myrtle flowers differed notably from that of observing its leaves, with flower observation having a more positive effect on the physical and mental health of elderly individuals; and 3) the natural environment was found to exert an influence on the physical and mental health of elderly individuals through visual stimulation. Following the observation of crape myrtle, there was a significant decrease in the physiological indices of elderly individuals. Our findings offer valuable insights into the therapeutic benefits of crape myrtle observation activities and contributing evidence-based recommendations for future landscape design aimed at enhancing well-being.

BackgroundThis study aimed to investigate whether quantitative radiomics features extracted from conventional ultrasound (CUS) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) of primary breast lesions can help noninvasively predict axillary lymph nodes metastasis (ALNM) in breast cancer patients.MethodA total of 111 breast cancer patients with 111 breast lesions were prospectively enrolled. All the included patients received presurgical CUS screening and CEUS examination and were randomly assigned to the training and validation sets at a ratio of 7:3 (n = 78 versus 33). Radiomics features were respectively extracted based on CUS and CEUS using the PyRadiomics package. The max-relevance and min-redundancy (MRMR) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analyses were used for feature selection and radiomics score calculation in the training set. The variance inflation factor (VIF) was performed to check the multicollinearity among selected predictors. The best performing model was selected to develop a nomogram using binary logistic regression analysis. The calibration and clinical utility of the nomogram were assessed.ResultsThe model combining CUS reported ALN status, CUS radiomics score (CUS-radscore) and CEUS radiomics score (CEUS-radscore) exhibited the best performance. The areas under the curves (AUC) of our proposed nomogram in the training and external validation sets were 0.845 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.739-0.950] and 0.901 (95% CI, 0.758-1). The calibration curves and decision curve analysis (DCA) demonstrated the nomogram’s robust consistency and clinical utility.ConclusionsThe established nomogram is a promising prediction tool for noninvasive prediction of ALN status. The radiomics features based on CUS and CEUS can help improve the predictive performance.

A recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from wheat landrace Qingxinmai and breeding line 041133 exhibited segregation in resistance to powdery mildew and stripe rust in five and three field tests, respectively. A 16K genotyping by target sequencing (GBTS) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array-based genetic linkage map was used to dissect the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for disease resistance. Four and seven QTLs were identified for adult-plant resistance (APR) against powdery mildew and stripe rust. QPm.caas-1B and QPm.caas-5A on chromosomes 1B and 5A were responsible for the APR against powdery mildew in line 041133. QYr.caas-1B, QYr.caas-3B, QYr.caas-4B, QYr.caas-6B.1, QYr.caas-6B.2, and QYr.caas-7B detected on the five B-genome chromosomes of line 041133 conferred its APR to stripe rust. QPm.caas-1B and QYr.caas.1B were co-localized with the pleiotropic locus Lr46/Yr29/Sr58/Pm39/Ltn2. A Kompetitive Allele Specific Polymorphic (KASP) marker KASP_1B_668028290 was developed to trace QPm/Yr.caas.1B. Four lines pyramiding six major disease resistance loci, PmQ, Yr041133, QPm/Yr.caas-1B, QPm.caas-2B.1, QYr.caas-3B, and QPm.caas-6B, were developed. They displayed effective resistance against both powdery mildew and stripe rust at the seedling and adult-plant stages.

This article presents two quantum algorithms for computing the product of a circulant matrix and a vector. The arithmetic complexity of the first algorithm is O(Nlog2N) in most cases. For the second algorithm, when the entries in the circulant matrix and the vector take values in C or R, the complexity is O(Nlog2N) in most cases. However, when these entries take values from positive real numbers, the complexity is reduced to O(log3N) in most cases, which presents an exponential speedup compared to the classical complexity of O(NlogN) for computing the product of a circulant matrix and vector. We apply this algorithm to the convolution calculation in quantum convolutional neural networks, which effectively accelerates the computation of convolutions. Additionally, we present a concrete quantum circuit structure for quantum convolutional neural networks.

BackgroundsNon-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have been recommended as the first choice over warfarin for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). However, there is limited data about their usage in mainland China.MethodsPrescriptions of patients diagnosed with AF and containing OACs were extracted from Hospital Prescription Cooperation Project from January 2016 to March 2021. The primary outcome was the changing percentage of different OACs. The secondary outcomes were frequencies as well as factors with the choice of different OACs and dosage of NOACs. Univariate and Multivariate logistic regressions were conducted to explore possible factors. All statistical analyses were performed using SAS software (Version 9.4).ResultsAmong the 220,083 distinct prescriptions diagnosed with AF and prescribed with OACs, the percentage of NOACs increased over years, exceeding warfarin in 2018. Until March 2021, 83.53% of included patients were prescribed with NOACs. Rivaroxaban (62.25%) and dabigatran (37.65%) were the most commonly prescribed NOACs. Low dosage was common for NOACs (44.54%), this was mainly driven by rivaroxaban, 67.98% of which were low dosage. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that several factors were positively associated with the preference of low dosage, including outpatients (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.26–1.39), patients with hypertension (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.40–1.58), acute coronary syndrome (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.12–1.22), stroke (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.33–1.52), and kidney disease (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.34–1.97), as well as concomitantly using antiplatelet agents (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.40–1.66), and steroids (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.50–2.07). On the contrary, they were less common in health insurance holder (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.75–0.84), patients taking apixaban (vs. rivaroxaban, OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.18–0.81), dabigatran (vs. rivaroxaban, OR 0.01, 95% CI 0.01–0.01), edoxaban (vs. rivaroxaban, OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.23–0.55), diagnosed with heart failure (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.81–0.93), deep vein thrombosis (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.29–0.46), pulmonary embolism (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.28–0.43), and peripheral artery disease (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.55–0.85).ConclusionThe usage of OACs for AF was overall complying with updated guidelines. Low dosage was common for NOACs, further studies were warranted to verify its effectiveness and explore the underlying mechanism.

Hulless barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum Hook. f.), belonging to the genus Gramineae, has high and steady output and thus considered as a principal food crop by Tibetan people. Hulless barley grain can be used for food, brewing, and functional health product development, while its straw serves as an essential supplementary forage and is a crucial cereal crop. Lodging can reduce the yield and quality of barley grain and straw, and it hinders mechanical harvesting. It is a significant factor affecting high and stable yields of barley. Unlike other Poaceae plants (such as rice, wheat), hulless barley is mainly grown in high-altitude regions, where it is susceptible to low temperatures, strong winds, and heavy rainfall. As a result, its stem lodging resistance is relatively weak, making it prone to lodging during the growth period. In this study, we observed that the lignin concentration and the contents of lignin monomers (H, S, and G), and neutral detergent fibre of the lodging-resistant variety Kunlun14 were substantially greater than those of the lodging-sensitive variety Menyuanlianglan. We performed the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and Short Time-series Expression Miner (STEM) analysis of both the lodging-resistant and lodging-sensitive varieties. Through transcriptome sequencing analysis at different developmental stages, combined with the previously annotated genes related to lodging resistance, a total of 72 DEGs were identified. Among these DEGs, 17 genes were related to lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose synthesis or regulation, including five transcription factors about NAC, MYB and WRKY. Our results provide a basis for further exploring the molecular mechanism of stem lodging resistance in hulless barley and provide valuable gene resources for stem lodging resistance molecular breeding.

This study used the ITS approach based on Illumina MiSeq sequencing to assess the endosphere and rhizosphere fungal communities in healthy and diseased faba bean plants. The findings indicate that the most predominant phyla in all samples were Ascomycota (49.89–99.56%) and Basidiomycota (0.33–25.78%). In healthy endosphere samples, Glomeromycota (0.08–1.17%) was the only predominant phylum. In diseased endosphere samples, Olpidiomycota (0.04–1.75%) was the only predominant phylum. At the genus level, Penicillium (0.47–35.21%) was more abundant in rhizosphere soil, while Paraphoma (3.48–91.16%) was predominant in the endosphere roots of faba bean plants. Significant differences were observed in the alpha diversity of rhizosphere samples from different germplasm resources (p < 0.05). The fungal community structures were clearly distinguished between rhizosphere and endosphere samples and between healthy and diseased endosphere samples (p < 0.05). Saccharomyces was significantly enriched in diseased endosphere samples, whereas Apiotrichum was enriched in healthy endosphere samples. Vishniacozyma and Phialophora were enriched in diseased rhizosphere samples, while Pseudogymnoascus was enriched in healthy rhizosphere samples. Diseased samples displayed more strongly correlated genera than healthy samples. Saprotrophs accounted for a larger proportion of the fungal microbes in rhizosphere soil than in endosphere roots. This study provides a better understanding of the composition and diversity of fungal communities in the rhizosphere and endosphere of faba bean plants as well as a theoretical guidance for future research on the prevention or control of faba bean root rot disease.

BackgroundThere is no study focusing on noninvasive predictors for the efficacy of sintilimab (anti-PD-1) plus IBI305 (a bevacizumab biosimilar) treatment in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodA total of 33 patients with advanced HCC were prospectively enrolled and received sintilimab plus IBI305 treatment from November 2018 to October 2019. Baseline characteristics including clinical data, laboratory data, and tumor features based on pretreatment CT/MR were collected. Meanwhile, pretreatment contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for target tumor was performed and quantitative parameters were derived from time–intensity curves (TICs). A nomogram was developed based on the variables identified by the univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis. The discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility of the nomogram were evaluated.ResultsTumor embolus and grad ratio were significant variables related to the efficacy of sintilimab plus IBI305 strategy. The nomogram based on these two variables achieved an excellent predictive performance with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.909 (95% CI, 0.813–1). A bootstrapping for 500 repetitions was performed to validate this model and the AUC of the bootstrap model was 0.91 (95% CI, 0.8–0.98). The calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) showed that the nomogram had a good consistency and clinical utility.ConclusionsThis study has established and validated a nomogram by incorporating the quantitative parameters of pretreatment CEUS and baseline clinical characteristics to predict the anti-PD-1 plus anti-VEGF treatment efficacy in advanced HCC patients.

As a member of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) enzyme family, PDE10A is in charge of the degradation of cyclic adenosine (cAMP) and guanosine monophosphates (cGMP). While PDE10A is primarily expressed in the medium spiny neurons of the striatum, it has been implicated in a variety of neurological disorders. Indeed, inhibition of PDE10A has proven to be of potential use for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) pathologies caused by dysfunction of the basal ganglia–of which the striatum constitutes the largest component. A PDE10A-targeted positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand would enable a better assessment of the pathophysiologic role of PDE10A, as well as confirm the relationship between target occupancy and administrated dose of a given drug candidate, thus accelerating the development of effective PDE10A inhibitors. In this study, we designed and synthesized a novel 18F-aryl PDE10A PET radioligand, codenamed [18F]P10A-1910 ([18F]9), in high radiochemical yield and molar activity via spirocyclic iodonium ylide-mediated radiofluorination. [18F]9 possessed good in vitro binding affinity (IC50 = 2.1 nmol/L) and selectivity towards PDE10A. Further, [18F]9 exhibited reasonable lipophilicity (logD = 3.50) and brain permeability (Papp > 10 × 10−6 cm/s in MDCK-MDR1 cells). PET imaging studies of [18F]9 revealed high striatal uptake and excellent in vivo specificity with reversible tracer kinetics. Preclinical studies in rodents revealed an improved plasma and brain stability of [18F]9 when compared to the current reference standard for PDE10A-targeted PET, [18F]MNI659. Further, dose–response experiments with a series of escalating doses of PDE10A inhibitor 1 in rhesus monkey brains confirmed the utility of [18F]9 for evaluating target occupancy in vivo in higher species. In conclusion, our results indicated that [18F]9 is a promising PDE10A PET radioligand for clinical translation.

ObjectiveTo investigate the superiority of the integrated cervicothoracic immobilization devices (ICTID) on the mobility of the supraclavicular station in lung cancer patients requiring both primary lung lesion and positive supraclavicular lymph nodes irradiation.MethodsOne hundred patients with lung cancer were prospectively enrolled in the study. The following four different fixation methods are used for CT simulation positioning: thoracoabdominal flat immobilization device fixation with arms lifting (TAFID group), head-neck-shoulder immobilization device fixation with arms on the body sides (HNSID group), ICTID fixation with arms on the body sides (ICTID arms-down group), and n ICTID fixation with arms lifting (ICTID arms-up group). Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images are taken daily or weekly before treatment, to assess anatomical changes during the radiotherapy course.ResultsThe translation errors in X (left-right direction), Y (head-foot direction), and Z (abdomen-back direction) directions of the ICTID arms-up, TAFID, ICTID arms-down and HNSID groups were (0.15 ± 0.18) cm, (0.15 ± 0.16) cm, (0.16 ± 0.16) cm, and (0.15 ± 0.20) cm; (0.15 ± 0.15) cm, (0.21 ± 0.25) cm, (0.28 ± 0.23) cm, and (0.27 ± 0.21) cm; (0.13 ± 0.14) cm, (0.15 ± 0.14) cm, (0.17 ± 0.13) cm, and (0.16 ± 0.14) cm, respectively. Among them, the ICTID arms-up group had the minimal setup errors in X direction than those in ICTID arms-down (p=0.001) and HNSID groups (p=0.001), and in Y direction than those in TAFID (p

Abstract Background As a popular and valuable technique, grafting is widely used to protect against soil-borne diseases and nematodes in vegetable production. Growing evidences have revealed that long intergenic ncRNAs (lincRNAs) are strictly regulated and play essential roles in plants development and stress responses. Nevertheless, genome-wide identification and function deciphering of pepper lincRNAs, especially for their roles in improving grafting pepper resistance to Phytophthora capsici is largely unknown. Results In this study, RNA-seq data of grafting and control pepper plants with or without P. capsici inoculation were used to identify lincRNAs. In total, 2,388 reliable lincRNAs were identified. They were relatively longer and contained few exons than protein-coding genes. Similar to coding genes, lincRNAs had higher densities in euchromatin regions; and longer chromosome transcribed more lincRNAs. Expression pattern profiling suggested that lincRNAs commonly had lower expression than mRNAs. Totally, 607 differentially expressed lincRNAs (DE-lincRANs) were identified, of which 172 were found between P. capsici resistance grafting pepper sample GR and susceptible sample LDS. The neighboring genes of DE-lincRNAs and miRNAs competitively sponged by DE-lincRNAs were identified. Subsequently, the expression level of DE-lincRNAs was further confirmed by qRT-PCR and regulation patterns between DE-lincRNAs and neighboring mRNAs were also validated. Function annotation revealed that DE-lincRNAs increased the resistance of grafting prepper to P. capsici by modulating the expression of disease-defense related genes through cis-regulating and/or lincRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction networks. Conclusions This study identified pepper lincRNAs and suggested their potential roles in increasing the resistance level of grafting pepper to P. capsici.

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to examine bone turnover markers, estradiol, parathyroid hormone, and 25 hydroxyvitamin D, in cynomolgus monkeys at different ages to improve our understanding of the changes in bone turnover markers throughout the life cycle of cynomolgus monkeys and to provide a basis for the establishment of a non-human primate model of osteoporosis.MethodsTotal Body Bone Mineral Density and Total Body Bone Mineral Content were measured using Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry in cynomolgus monkeys at different ages. Serum bone turnover marker' levels were measured using enzyme immunoassays at each age group, and the relationship between bone turnover markers and age was assessed by Spearman rank correlation analysis to investigate the relationship between bone turnover markers and age in female cynomolgus monkeys.ResultsTotal Body Bone Mineral Density in female cynomolgus monkeys peaked at 10 years of age and then formed a plateau that was maintained until old age. Procollagen I Aminoterminal Propeptide, Bone Alkaline Phosphatase, Osteocalcin, and C-Terminal Telopeptide Of Type I Collagen peaked at 1 to 3 years of age and gradually decreased with age, leveling off by 10 years of age. Estradiol, parathyroid hormone, and 25 hydroxyvitamin D, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, were not significantly different among age groups.ConclusionThis paper provides data on trends in bone turnover markers throughout the life cycle of female cynomolgus monkeys, which are similar to human changes.

Abstract Background Polyploid plants often exhibit enhanced stress tolerance. The underlying physiological and molecular bases of such mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we characterized the drought tolerance of autotetraploid sour jujube at phenotypic, physiological and molecular levels. Results The study findings showed that the autotetraploid sour jujube exhibited a superior drought tolerance and enhanced regrowth potential after dehydration in comparison with the diploid counterpart. Under drought stress, more differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in autotetraploid sour jujube and the physiological responses gradually triggered important functions. Through GO enrichment analysis, many DEGs between the diploid and autotetraploid sour jujube after drought-stress exposure were annotated to the oxidation–reduction process, photosystem, DNA binding transcription factor activity and oxidoreductase activity. Six reactive oxygen species scavenging-related genes were specifically differentially expressed and the larger positive fold-changes of the DEGs involved in glutathione metabolism were detected in autotetraploid. Consistently, the lower O2− level and malonaldehyde (MDA) content and higher antioxidant enzymes activity were detected in the autotetraploid under drought-stress conditions. In addition, DEGs in the autotetraploid after stress exposure were significantly enriched in anthocyanin biosynthesis, DNA replication, photosynthesis and plant hormone, including auxin, abscisic acid and gibberellin signal-transduction pathways. Under osmotic stress conditions, genes associated with the synthesis and transport of osmotic regulators including anthocyanin biosynthesis genes were differentially expressed, and the soluble sugar, soluble protein and proline contents were significantly higher in the autotetraploid. The higher chlorophyll content and DEGs enriched in photosynthesis suggest that the photosynthetic system in the autotetraploid was enhanced compared with diploid during drought stress. Moreover, several genes encoding transcription factors (TFs) including GRAS, Bhlh, MYB, WRKY and NAC were induced specifically or to higher levels in the autotetraploid under drought-stress conditions, and hub genes, LOC107403632, LOC107422279, LOC107434947, LOC107412673 and LOC107432609, related to 18 up-regulated transcription factors in the autotetraploid compared with the diploid were identified. Conclusion Taken together, multiple responses contribute to the enhanced drought tolerance of autotetraploid sour jujube. This study could provide an important basis for elucidating the mechanism of tolerance variation after the polyploidization of trees.

DOI 10.15835/nbha50212705 Grafting has been widely used to defense soil borne diseases and nematodes in vegetables production. However, the underlying mechanism of grafting-improved disease resistance is largely unknown. In this study, grafting cv. ‘Ledu’ scion to cv. ‘Jingxin No. 5’ rootstocks improved the resistance of pepper to Phytophthora capsici. To gain insights into the regulatory networks related to grafting, we performed transcriptome analysis of grafting and control pepper plants with or without P. capsici inoculation. RNA-seq analysis revealed that P. capsici infection largely re-programmed the pepper transcriptome and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) functionally annotated to metabolism processes including photosynthesis, response to stimulus, enzyme activity, and transcription were significantly enriched. Furthermore, the expression levels of most DEGs induced by P. capsici infection, such as genes functionally related to plant hormone signal transduction, plant-pathogen interaction, photosynthesis, reactive oxygen species, tend to recover to the control levels in grafting pepper plants, which help pepper maintain moderate plant defense response and considerable accumulation level of assimilation product, therefore fine-turning the dynamic balance between pepper growth-defense tradeoffs. Taken together, our results suggest the dynamic transcriptional programming in grafting pepper that underpin P. capsici disease and providing insight that the fine-tuning balance between growth and defense of grafting pepper.

Elsholtzia stauntonii Benth. (Lamiaceae) is an economically important ornamental, medicinal and aromatic plant species. To meet the increasing market demand for E. stauntonii, it is necessary to assess genetic diversity within the species to accelerate the process of genetic improvement. Analysis of the transferability of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers from related species or genera is a fast and economical method to evaluate diversity, and can ensure the availability of molecular markers in crops with limited genomic resources. In this study, the cross-genera transferability of 497 SSR markers selected from other members of the Lamiaceae (Salvia L., Perilla L., Mentha L., Hyptis Jacq., Leonurus L., Pogostemon Desf., Rosmarinus L., and Scutella L.) to E. stauntonii was 9.05% (45 primers). Among the 45 transferable markers, 10 markers revealed relatively high polymorphism in E. stauntonii. The genetic variation among 825 individuals from 18 natural populations of E. stauntonii in Hebei Province of China was analyzed using the 10 polymorphic SSR markers. On the basis of the SSR data, the average number of alleles (NA), expected heterozygosity (HE), and Shannon’s information index (I) of the 10 primers pairs were 7.000, 0.478, and 0.688, respectively. Lower gene flow (Nm = 1.252) and high genetic differentiation (Fst = 0.181) were detected in the populations. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that most of the variation (81.47%) was within the populations. Integrating the results of STRUCTURE, UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean) clustering, and principal coordinate analysis, the 825 samples were grouped into two clusters associated with geographical provenance (southwestern and northeastern regions), which was consistent with the results of a Mantel test (r = 0.56, p < 0.001). Overall, SSR markers developed in related genera were effective to study the genetic structure and genetic diversity in geographical populations of E. stauntonii. The results provide a theoretical basis for conservation of genetic resources, genetic improvement, and construction of a core collection for E. stauntonii.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a basket term for neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by marked impairments in social interactions, repetitive and stereotypical behaviors, and restricted interests and activities. Subtypes include (A) disorders with known genetic abnormalities including fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis and (B) idiopathic ASD, conditions with unknown etiologies. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a molecular imaging technology that can be utilized in vivo for dynamic and quantitative research, and is a valuable tool for exploring pathophysiological mechanisms, evaluating therapeutic efficacy, and accelerating drug development in ASD. Recently, several imaging studies on ASD have been published and physiological changes during ASD progression was disclosed by PET. This paper reviews the specific radioligands for PET imaging of critical biomarkers in ASD, and summarizes and discusses the similar and different discoveries in outcomes of previous studies. It is of great importance to identify general physiological changes in cerebral glucose metabolism, cerebral blood flow perfusion, abnormalities in neurotransmitter systems, and inflammation in the central nervous system in ASD, which may provide excellent points for further ASD research.

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect and mechanism of sophoridine(Sop) on cell injury caused by hypoxia in rat myocardial cell line H9c2. Methods H9c2 cells were exposed to 1% O2 and cultured with different concentrations (1, 4 and 16 mmol/L) of Sop for 48 h. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. The release level of LDH and the content of MDA were determined by the kit methods. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The protein expression of cleaved-caspase-3, p-PI3K and p-AKT was detected by Western blot. Results Sop alleviated the cell viability, LDH release, MDA content and hypoxia-induced apoptosis of H9c2 cells in a concentration-dependent manner (P＜0.05, P＜0.01, P＜0.001). Sop decreased the cleaved-caspase-3 expression and increased the ratio of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT in a concentration-dependent manner (P＜0.05, P＜0.01, P＜0.001). Conclusions Sop reduces hypoxia-induced cell injury and has a protective effect in vitro model of H9c2 cells, the potential mechanism is enhancing the stimulation activity of PI3K/AKT signal.

The 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO), previously known as the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, is predominately localized to the outer mitochondrial membrane in steroidogenic cells. Brain TSPO expression is relatively low under physiological conditions, but is upregulated in response to glial cell activation. As the primary index of neuroinflammation, TSPO is implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of numerous neuropsychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In this context, numerous TSPO-targeted positron emission tomography (PET) tracers have been developed. Among them, several radioligands have advanced to clinical research studies. In this review, we will overview the recent development of TSPO PET tracers, focusing on the radioligand design, radioisotope labeling, pharmacokinetics, and PET imaging evaluation. Additionally, we will consider current limitations, as well as translational potential for future application of TSPO radiopharmaceuticals. This review aims to not only present the challenges in current TSPO PET imaging, but to also provide a new perspective on TSPO targeted PET tracer discovery efforts. Addressing these challenges will facilitate the translation of TSPO in clinical studies of neuroinflammation associated with central nervous system diseases.

The effects of whole-genome duplication span multiple levels. Previous study reported that the autotetraploid sour jujube exhibited superior drought tolerance than diploid. However, the difference in water transport system between diploids and autotetraploids and its mechanism remain unclear. Here, we found the number of xylem vessels and parenchyma cells in autotetraploid sour jujube increased to nearly twice that of diploid sour jujube, which may be closely related to the differences in xylem vessel differentiation-related ZjVND7 targets between the two ploidy types. Although the five enriched binding motifs are different, the most reliable motif in both diploid and autotetraploid sour jujube was CTTNAAG. Additionally, ZjVND7 targeted 236 and 321 genes in diploids and autotetraploids, respectively. More identified targeted genes of ZjVND7 were annotated to xylem development, secondary wall synthesis, cell death, cell division, and DNA endoreplication in autotetraploids than in diploids. SMR1 plays distinct roles in both proliferating and differentiated cells. Under drought stress, the binding signal of ZjVND7 to ZjSMR1 was stronger in autotetraploids than in diploids, and the fold-changes in the expression of ZjVND7 and ZjSMR1 were larger in the autotetraploids than in the diploids. These results suggested that the targeted regulation of ZjVND7 on ZjSMR1 may play valuable roles in autotetraploids in the response to drought stress. We hypothesized that the binding of ZjVND7 to ZjSMR1 might play a role in cell division and transdifferentiation from parenchyma cells to vessels in the xylem. This regulation could prolong the cell cycle and regulate endoreplication in response to drought stress and abscisic acid, which may be stronger in polyploids.

Abstract We report a group of complexes used in clinical immunoassays. The complexes include a PAMAM-conjugated goat anti-rabbit IgG and a QDs-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG. When rabbit anti-antigen and mouse anti-antigen are added, the corresponding antigen will be detected. The experiment, using the complexes, is simple, convenient, short in time, and short in steps. It is also applicable to different experiment methods, like to be used with FCM (flow cytometry), ICC (immunocytochemistry), and IHC (immunohistochemistry) to detect many kinds of antigens.

Abstract Background Breast cancer, the most common invasive cancer of women, is a malignant neoplasm and the second main cause of cancer death. Resistance to paclitaxel (Taxol), one of the frequently used chemotherapy agents for breast cancer, presents a major clinical challenge. Recent studies revealed that metabolic alterations of cancer cells play important roles in chemo-resistance. Materials and methods In this study, Human breast cancer cells, BT474, SKBR3 and MCF7 were used to study the causal relationship between the lactate exporter, MCT1 (SLC16A1)-modulated glucose metabolism and Taxol resistance of breast cancer cells. Taxol resistant breast cancer cells were established. The intracellular lactate and extracellular lactate levels as well glucose uptake and oxygen consumption were measured. MicroRNA-124 expressions were detected by qRT-PCR from both breast cancer patient samples and breast cancer cells. Target of miR-124 was predicted and verified by Western blot and luciferase assay. An xenograft mice model was established and evaluated for the in vivo tumor therapeutic effects of MCT1 inhibitor plus microRNA-124 treatments. Results Low toxic Taxol treatments promoted cellular glucose metabolism and intracellular lactate accumulation with upregulated lactate dehydrogenase-A (LDHA) and MCT1 expressions. By establishing Taxol resistant breast cancer cell line, we found Taxol resistant cells exhibit upregulated LDHA and MCT1 expressions. Furthermore, glucose consumption, lactate production and intracellular ATP were elevated in Taxol resistant MCF7 cells compared with their parental cells. The miR-124, a tumor suppressive miRNA, was significantly downregulated in Taxol resistant cells. Luciferase assay and q-RT-PCR showed MCT1 is a direct target of miR-124 in both breast cancer cell lines and patient specimens. Moreover, co-treatment of breast cancer cells with either MCT1 inhibitor or miR-124 plus Taxol led to synergistically cytotoxic effects. Importantly, based on in vitro and in vivo results, inhibition of MCT1 significantly sensitized Taxol resistant cells. Finally, rescue experiments showed restoration of MCT1 in miR-124 overexpressing cells promoted Taxol resistance. Conclusions This study reveals a possible role of miRNA-214-mediated Taxol resistance, contributing to identify novel therapeutic targets against chemoresistant breast cancers.

Long Range (LoRa) network is emerging as one of the most promising low-power wide-area (LPWA) networks, since it enables the energy-constraint devices distributed over wide areas to establish affordable connectivity. However, how to implement a cost-effective and flexible LoRa network is still an open challenge. This paper aims at exposing a feasible solution of design and implementation, allowing users to conveniently build a private LoRa network for various IoT applications. First, several typical application scenarios of LoRa network are discussed. Then, the LoRa system architecture is presented with the functionality of each component. We address the hardware design and implementation of LoRa Gateway, which is the bridge between LoRa nodes and LoRa network server. Especially, this paper contributes by proposing an improved software architecture of LoRa network server whose source codes are open on GitHub. Under the architecture, LoRa network server is divided into four decoupled modules and uses the messaging system based on streaming data for the interaction between modules to guarantee scalability and flexibility. Finally, the extensive experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of LoRa networks in typical environments.

Several new stripe rust pathogen races emerged in the wheat growing regions of China in recent years. These races were virulent to most of the designated wheat seedling resistance genes. Thus, it is necessary and worthwhile to identify new valuable resistant materials for the sake of diversifying resistant sources, pyramiding different resistance genes and achieving durable resistance. Here, we identified the resistance gene, temporarily designated as YrH9017, in wheat-Psathyrostachys huashanica introgression line H9017-14-16-5-3. A total of 146 F2 plants and their derived F2:3 families in a cross of Mingxian 169 and H9017-14-16-5-3 were used to evaluate seedling stripe rust response and as a mapping population. Finally, we constructed a genetic map including eight simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and expressed sequence tag (EST) markers. YrH9017 was located on the long arm of chromosome 2A and closely linked with two EST-sequence tagged site (EST-STS) markers BG604577 and BE471201 at 1.3 and 1.8 cM distance, respectively. The two closest markers could be used for marker-assisted selection of YrH9017 in breeding.

Abstract Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is an important fruit crop and harbors many highly diverse traits of potential economic importance. Fruit size, stone size, and fruit cracking have an important influence on the commercial value of jujube. This study is the first to conduct a genome‐wide association study (GWAS) on 180 accessions of jujube and focuses on locating single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with nine important fruit quality traits. Genotyping was performed using genotyping‐by‐sequencing and 4651 high‐quality SNPs were identified. A genetic diversity analysis revealed the presence of three distinct groups, and rapid linkage disequilibrium decay was observed in this jujube population. Using a mixed linear model, a total of 45 significant SNP–trait associations were detected, among which 33 SNPs had associations with fruit size‐related traits, nine were associated with stone size‐related traits, and three with fruit cracking‐related traits. In total, 21 candidate genes involved in cell expansion, abiotic stress responses, hormone signaling, and growth development were identified from the genome sequences of jujube. These results are useful as basic data for GWAS of other jujube traits, and these significant SNP loci and candidate genes should aid marker‐assisted breeding and genomic selection of improved jujube cultivars.

Fruit cracking is a common physiological disorder in many fruit species. Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is an economically valuable fruit in which fruit cracking seriously affects fruit yield and quality and causes significant economic losses. To elucidate cracking-related molecular mechanisms, the cracking-susceptible cultivars ‘Cuizaohong’ and ‘Jinsixiaozao’ and the cracking-resistant cultivar ‘Muzao’ were selected, and comparative transcriptome analyses of cracking and non-cracking ‘Cuizaohong’ (CC and NC), cracking and non-cracking ‘Jinsixiaozao’ (CJ and NJ), and non-cracking ‘Muzao’ (NM) were conducted. A total of 131 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were common to the CC vs. NC and CJ vs. NJ comparisons. To avoid passive processes after fruit cracking, we also mainly focused on the 225 gradually downregulated DEGs in the CJ, NJ, and NM samples. The functional annotation of the candidate DEGs revealed that 61 genes related to calcium, the cell wall, the cuticle structure, hormone metabolism, starch/sucrose metabolism, transcription factors, and water transport were highly expressed in cracking fruits. We propose that expression-level changes in these genes might increase the turgor pressure and weaken mechanical properties, ultimately leading to jujube fruit cracking. These results may serve as a rich genetic resource for future investigations on fruit cracking mechanisms in jujube and in other fruit species.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important staple food and economic crop in many countries. China has led world potato production in recent years. To understand the genetic diversity of potato germplasms and to enrich the current gene pool for potato improvement, we made a global collection consisted of 288 potato germplasms from eight countries and the International Potato Center (CIP). Using SSR and AFLP techniques, we evaluated the genetic diversity and population structure of these 288 potato accessions. A total of 190 alleles on 20 SSR loci were detected and all of the SSR alleles were polymorphic among these potato germplasms with an average of 9.5 alleles per SSR locus ranging from 2 to 23. The effective number of alleles per locus (Ne*), Nei's genetic diversity (H*), and Shannon's information index (I*) was from (0.1709±0.3698) to (1.6166±0.3414), (0.076±0.1388) to (0.3812±0.1886), and (0.1324±0.1970) to (0.5347±0.1440), respectively, and the mean polymorphic information content (PIC) value was 0.7312. A total of 988 AFLP alleles were detected by 10 AFLP primer combinations with 983 polymorphic alleles, and 99.49% alleles was polymorphic with an average of 98.3 polymorphic alleles per primer combination ranging from 91 to 116. The values of Ne*, H* and I* were from (1.5162±0.311) to (1.6423±0.3278), (0.3114±0.145) to (0.3675±0.1121), and (0.4761±0.1792) to (0.547±0.1322), respectively, and the average PIC value was 0.9871. Bayesian analysis discriminated the accessions into seven subgroup and an admix group. The majority of accessions from CIP and China were assigned into SG1, SG5, SG6, SG7 and admix group. Accessions in SG3 were mainly from CIP and two small groups SG2 and SG4 were mainly from northeastern China. In general, the results obtained from Bayesian statistical analysis, cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis consistently revealed the lack of geographical differentiation among country-wide collections, indicating germplasm introduction was common for the countries out of potato origin center. The polymorphic markers and the differentiate genetic lineages found in this study provide useful information for potato improvement and conservation programs.

Polyploid breeding is an important strategy for tree improvement because polyploid individuals typically show superior traits, such as improved growth, stress resistance, and superior fruit quality. Artificial induction of chromosome doubling of female gametes is an effective approach to obtain triploid progeny. However, no triploid fruit tree cultivars have been developed using this approach. The objective of this study was to explore the utility of chromosome doubling in female gametes of ‘Maya’ jujube to produce triploid individuals. The temporal relationship between flower bud morphology and the megaspore meiotic stage was studied to guide the optimal timing of colchicine treatment. Colchicine solution was applied to bearing shoots of mature ‘Maya’ jujube trees in a field experiment using two treatment methods (improved cotton leaching and injection method) and three concentrations (0.3%, 0.4%, and 0.5%). The water transport rate of ‘Maya’ jujube shoots was studied using dye solution to judge the effectiveness and timing of the colchicine treatment methods. Two triploids were identified among the progenies from the colchicine-treated shoots. The highest efficiency of triploid production was 3.3% when flower buds of diameter 1.76–2.12 mm were treated with 0.3% colchicine solution for 4 h using an improved cotton leaching method. The ground diameter, plant thorn length, leaf width, leaf area, stomatal length, stomatal width, chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic parameters of one triploid individual were significantly higher than those of diploids of identical parentage at 18 months old. Thus, induction of 2n megaspores is an effective approach to generate triploid jujube. These results are expected to promote and accelerate triploid breeding in fruit trees.

Wheat stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is one of the most devastating diseases in wheat. Due to the large-scale and widely-distributed planting pattern of wheat, the directional selection pressure of the pathogen is very strong. Therefore, it is urgent to pyramid more stripe rust resistance genes in wheat cultivars to enhance resistance durability and ensure wheat production safety. In this study, two quantitative trait loci (QTL) for adult plant resistance (APR) to stripe rust, QYr.nafu-2BL and QYr.nafu-3BS, were validated and introgressed from wheat line P9897 into three Chinese elite wheat cultivars, Chuanmai 42, Xiangmai 25, and Zhengmai 9023, through marker validation. The three Chinese elite varieties were used as the female parent to cross with wheat line P9897, and they were selfed to the F6 generation. A total of 114 lines were then selected based on field agronomic traits and stripe rust resistance. Four markers (Xcfd73, Xgwm120, Xbarc87 and Xbarc133) linked with the QTL’s regions were employed to screen the 114 F6 lines. Subsequently, 27 lines combining two target QTL from P9897 were selected. The combination of agronomic traits and disease resistance results showed that 13 of these selected lines had favorable application prospects. The promising lines selected in this study could enrich the genetic resources of wheat stripe rust resistance genes, as well as provide material support and a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of wheat stripe rust in China.

Many reports have shown that grains play an important role in our daily lives and can provide energy and nutrients to protect us from various diseases, and they are considered to be indispensable parts of our lives. It has been reported that some constituents in grains could exert functional effects against HIV infections and multiple cancers. Zymolytic grain can produce some new useful molecules and thus support the cell nutrients in the human body. In this study, the effects of zymolytic grain extract (ZGE) supernatants on the changes of nematode indicators were investigated, including lifespan, self-brood size, and body length in environmental conditions (temperature, ultraviolet radiation or 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine (FUDR) stimuli). We found that, compared to the control group, the ZGE supernatant-feeding group could prolong the lifespan of nematodes under normal conditions. More importantly, ZGE supernatants could improve the ability of nematodes to resist stress. When the concentration of FUDR was 400 or 50 μM, the ZGE supernatant-feeding group could prolong lifespan by an average of 38.4% compared to the control group, and the eggs of the ZGE supernatant-feeding group could hatch and develop into adults. These results indicated that ZGE could protect C. elegans from external stress and thus prolong their lifespan and improve the physiological state of nematodes. Therefore, ZGE supernatant has potential to be used as a nutritional product in antioxidant and anti-aging research.

Triticum aestivum-Hayaldia villosa translocation line V3 has shown effective all-stage resistance to the seven dominant pathotypes of Puccinia striiforms f. sp. tritici prevalent in China. To elucidate the genetic basis of the resistance, the segregating populations were developed from the cross between V3 and susceptible genotype Mingxian 169, seedlings of the parents and F2 progeny were tested with six prevalent pathotypes, including CYR29, CYR31, CYR32-6, CYR33, Sun11-4, and Sun11-11, F1 plants and F3 lines were also inoculated with Sun11-11 to confirm the result further. The genetic studied results showed that the resistance of V3 against CYR29 was conferred by two dominant genes, independently, one dominant gene and one recessive gene conferring independently or a single dominant gene to confer resistance to CYR31, two complementary dominant genes conferring resistance to both CYR32-6 and Sun11-4, two independently dominant genes or three dominant genes (two of the genes show cumulative effect) conferring resistance to CYR33, a single dominant gene for resistance to Sun11-11. Resistance gene analog polymorphism (RGAP) and simple-sequence repeat (SSR) techniques were used to identify molecular markers linked to the single dominant gene (temporarily designated as YrV3) for resistance to Sun11-11. A linkage map of 2 RGAP and 7 SSR markers was constructed for the dominant gene using data from 221 F2 plants and their derived F2:3 lines tested with Sun11-11 in the greenhouse. Amplification of the complete set of nulli-tetrasomic lines of Chinese Spring with a RGAP marker RG1 mapped the gene on the chromosome 1B, and then the linked 7 SSR markers located this gene on the long arm of chromosome 1B. The linkage map spanned a genetic distance of 25.0 cM, the SSR markers Xgwm124 and Xcfa2147 closely linked to YrV3 with genetic distances of 3.0 and 3.8 cM, respectively. Based on the linkage map, it concluded that the resistance gene YrV3 was located on chromosome arm 1BL. Given chromosomal location, the reaction patterns and pedigree analysis, YrV3 should be a novel gene for resistance to stripe rust in wheat. These closely linked markers should be useful in stacking genes from different sources for wheat breeding and diversification of resistance genes against stripe rust.

Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is one of the most widespread and destructive wheat diseases in many wheat-growing regions of the world. The winter wheat translocation line H9014-14-4-6-1 has all stage resistance. To identify stripe rust resistance genes, the segregating populations were developed from the cross between H9014-14-4-6-1 and Mingxian 169 (a wheat cultivar susceptible to all Pst races identified in China). The seedlings of the parents and F1 plants, F2, F3 and BC1 generations were tested with Pst races under controlled greenhouse conditions. Two genes for resistance to stripe rust were identified, one dominant gene conferred resistance to SUN11-4, temporarily designated YrH9014 and the other recessive gene conferred resistance to CYR33. The bulked segregant analysis and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used to identify polymorphic markers associated with YrH9014. Seven polymorphic SSR markers were used to genotype the F2 population inoculated with SUN11-4. A linkage map was constructed according to the genotypes of seven SSR markers and resistance gene. The molecular map spanned 24.3 cM, and the genetic distance of the two closest markers Xbarc13 and Xbarc55 to gene locus was 1.4 and 3.6 cM, respectively. Based on the position of SSR marker, the resistance gene YrH9014 was located on chromosome arm 2BS. Amplification of a set of nulli-tetrasomic Chinese Spring lines with SSR marker Xbarc13 indicated that YrH9014 was located on chromosome 2B. Based on chromosomal location, the reaction patterns and pedigree analysis, YrH9014 should be a novel resistance gene to stripe rust. This new gene and flanking markers got from this study should be useful for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in breeding programs for stripe rust.

Acer miaotaiense (P. C. Tsoong) is a rare and highly endangered plant in China. Because of the lack of genomic information and the limited number of available molecular markers, there are insufficient tools to determine the genetic diversity of this species. Here, 93,305 unigenes were obtained by multiple assembled contigs with a transcriptome sequencing program. Furthermore, 12,819 expressed sequence tag-derived simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers were generated, 300 were randomly selected and synthesized, 19 primer pairs were identified as highly polymorphic (average number of alleles (Na) = 8, expected heterozygosity (He) = 0.635, polymorphism information content (PIC) = 0.604) and were further used for population genetic analysis. All 261 samples were grouped into two genetic clusters by UPGMA, a principal component analyses and a STRUCTURE analyses. A moderate level of genetic differentiation (genetic differentiation index (Fst) = 0.059–0.116, gene flow = 1.904–3.993) among the populations and the major genetic variance (81.01%) within populations were revealed by the AMOVA. Based on the results, scientific conservation strategies should be established using in situ and ex situ conservation strategies. The study provides useful genetic information for the protection of precious wild resources and for further research on the origin and evolution of this endangered plant and its related species.