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How the spacetime evolved non-perturbatively in a landscape with multiple anti-de Sitter (AdS) vacua, which is theoretically well-motivated, has always been a matter of concern. As a step towards this issue, we perform (3+1)D numerical relativity simulations for the inhomogeneous universe in an AdS landscape, and find that large inhomogeneity of scalar field can develop into not only sphere-like bubbles, but also novel tube-like structures. It is observed that the bubble or tube wall (across the potential barrier) likely inflates as a quasi-dS space, while the different regions separated by the walls are in different AdS vacua and will collapse towards singularity.

Akebia species, belonging to Lardizabalaceae, are widespread from subtropical to temperate environments of China, Japan, and Korea. All known Akebia species have medicinal and dietary value and have been widely cultivated as a new fruit crop in many areas of China. However, compared with other crop species, the breeding improvement and commercial cultivation of Akebia remain in their infancy. This review systematically introduces the present germplasm resources, geographical distribution, biological characteristics, interspecific and intraspecific cross compatibility, molecular biology, and breeding progress in Akebia species. Akebia plants are widely distributed in Shanxi, Henan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces of China, and wild Akebia plants exhibit abundant phenotypic and genetic diversity due to their wide range of geographical distribution and high adaptability in different habitats. Interspecific artificial hybridization experiments have been conducted in our Akebia germplasm resources nursery. The results showed that there was no reproductive isolation between Akebia species, and fertile progeny could be produced. The synthesis of knowledge on these species provides insights for the rational development and utilization of these germplasm resources, and can facilitate the development of new breeding lines or varieties for commercial cultivation or production. Finally, perspectives on Akebia breeding research are discussed and conclusions are provided. This review provided breeders with new insights into Akebia domestication and breeding, and we also proposed five basic steps in the domestication of new fruit crops.

Understanding the roles of core bacterial taxa in forage production is crucial for developing sustainable fertilization practices that enhance the soil bacteria and forage yield. This study aims to investigate the impact of different fertilization regimes on soil bacterial community structure and function, with a particular focus on the role of core bacterial taxa in contributing to soil nutrient content and enhancing forage yield. Field experiments and high-throughput sequencing techniques were used to analyze the soil bacterial community structure and function under various fertilization regimes, including six treatments, control with no amendment (CK), double the standard rate of organic manure (T01), the standard rate of organic manure with nitrogen input equal to T04 (T02), half the standard rate of inorganic fertilizer plus half the standard rate of organic manure (T03), the standard rate of inorganic fertilizer reflecting local practice (T04), and double the standard rate of inorganic fertilizer (T05). The results demonstrated that organic manure treatments, particularly T01, significantly increased the forage yield and the diversity of core bacterial taxa. Core taxa from the Actinomycetota, Alphaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria classes were crucial in enhancing the soil nutrient content, directly correlating with forage yield. Fertilization significantly influenced functions relating to carbon and nitrogen cycling, with core taxa playing central roles. The diversity of core microbiota and soil nutrient levels were key determinants of forage yield variations across treatments. These findings underscore the critical role of core bacterial taxa in agroecosystem productivity and advocate for their consideration in fertilization strategies to optimize forage yield, supporting the shift towards sustainable agricultural practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and Netrin-1 in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Methods The patients with freshly-diagnosed DLBCL in our hospital from May 2018 to May 2020 were enrolled in this study. According to the international prognostic index (IPI), they were divided into low-risk group (≤2 points) and high-risk group (>2 points), with 25 patients in each group. The expression of Ki-67, NGF, BDNF and Netrin-1 were detected by immunohistochemical assay. Flow cytometry was used to detect the proportions of regulatory T cells (Treg cells), regulatory B cells (Breg cells) and regulatory plasma cells (Preg cells). Results Compared with the low-risk group, the expression levels of Ki-67, NGF and Netrin-1 were significantly increased in the high-risk group (P < 0.05), but that of BDNF didn't differ. The proportion of Treg cells in peripheral blood was obviously increased (3.07±0.14 vs 3.72±0.18, P < 0.05), while those of Breg cells and Preg cells were not statistically changed (0.88±0.12 vs 1.06±0.10; 0.053±0.010 vs 0.054±0.009) in the high-risk group than the low-risk group. Correlation analysis results showed that NGF was positively correlated with Ki-67 proliferation index (r=0.720, P=0.008), but not with the proportions of Treg cells, Breg cells and Preg cells. Netrin-1 was positively correlated with Ki-67 proliferation index and proportion of Treg cells (r=0.804, P=0.002; r=0.608, P=0.036), but not with the proportions of Breg cells and Preg cells. There was no correlation of BDNF with Ki-67 proliferation index and above proportions. Conclusion The expression levels of NGF and Netrin-1 are significantly increased in DLBCL tissues and positively correlated with the proliferation of tumor cells and proportion of Treg cells.