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ObjectivesDepression is largely preventable, and strategies that can effectively suppress its development are imperative. We aimed to examine whether physical activity and sedentary behavior were associated with depression and explore the possible mediatory role of complete blood count in this association.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, data were integrated from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (2007–2018). Depression was defined using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The risk for depression, expressed as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), was quantified by survey-weighted logistic regression analyses.ResultsA total of 31,204 respondents were analyzed. Significance was identified for all, except walking or bicycling per week, types of physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Per 1 standard deviation (SD) increment in metabolic equivalent of task (MET) of weekly vigorous recreational physical activity was associated with 31.3% decreased depression risk (adjusted OR: 0.687, 95% CI: 0.5663–0.840). Per 1 SD increment in sitting time can increase depression risk by 22.4% (adjusted OR: 1.224, 95% CI: 1.131–1.325). In subsidiary analyses, the association with depression was reinforced in respondents aged ≤65 years and those overweight or obese. Mediation analyses revealed significant effects for red blood cell (RBC) on total MET (19.4%) and moderate work-related physical activity (MWPA) (22.0%), and for red cell distribution wide (RCDW) on vigorous work-related physical activity (17.7%), moderate work-related physical activity (13.1%), total MET (11.2%), and sitting time (16.4%) (p

Abstract Understanding how plants alter their development and architecture in response to ambient temperature is crucial for breeding resilient crops. Here, we identify the quantitative trait locus qMULTIPLE INFLORESCENCE BRANCH 2 (qMIB2), which modulates inflorescence branching in response to high ambient temperature in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). The non-functional mib2 allele may have been selected in large-fruited varieties to ensure larger and more uniform fruits under varying temperatures. MIB2 gene encodes a homolog of the Arabidopsis thaliana transcription factor SPATULA; its expression is induced in meristems at high temperature. MIB2 directly binds to the promoter of its downstream gene CONSTANS-Like1 (SlCOL1) by recognizing the conserved G-box motif to activate SlCOL1 expression in reproductive meristems. Overexpressing SlCOL1 rescue the reduced inflorescence branching of mib2, suggesting how the MIB2–SlCOL1 module helps tomato inflorescences adapt to high temperature. Our findings reveal the molecular mechanism underlying inflorescence thermomorphogenesis and provide a target for breeding climate-resilient crops.

Biological culture is of great significance to the conservation of biodiversity. The formation and development of botanical gardens have reflected the plant culture which formed by human beings due to material and spiritual needs in history. Modern botanical gardens have made outstanding achievements in plant ex-situ protection, while the plant culture construction is still a little insufficient. In the process of global biodiversity conservation, the important roles of traditional culture in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of biological resources have been increasingly valued. At this background, this study emphasized the close connection and co-evolution relationship between biocultural diversity and biodiversity, and reviewed the implication of plant culture in early botanical gardens and Chinese classical gardens. And through the analysis of the main functions of 3 085 modern botanical gardens around the world, we found that only 7.36% of botanical gardens carried out ethnobotanical research, while 11.18% carried out conservation biology research, and 17.18% worked out a plant conservation programme, which revealed the improvement of the protection function and the weakening of the cultural function of modern botanical gardens. Based on the demand for the construction of plant culture in the effective protection of plant diversity in the current botanical garden, this study further analyzed the deficiencies of plant culture construction in botanical gardens in China, including: (1) insufficient plant culture information data in plant species diversity information; (2) lack of consideration of benefit-sharing of traditional knowledge in biodiversity conservation; (3) lack of theme parks that display plant diversity with culture. Focused on the goal of plant diversity conservation and management in the China national botanical garden, we put forward the following suggestions on plant culture construction in the China national botanical garden system from three aspects, in order to provide a reference for the construction of a national botanical garden system with the characteristics of Chinese ecological civilization. Plant diversity protection and utilization: to strengthen the consideration of plant culture in the construction of plant diversity information and germplasm resource bank, encourage ethnobotanical research. Benefit-sharing: to establish access and benefit-sharing (ABS) standard procedures covering traditional knowledge to ensure fair and equitable benefit-sharing. Public participation: to consider display the regionality and uniqueness in China national botanical garden, and add ethnic plant culture theme parks or exhibition halls.

In this paper, a new adaptive estimation approach is proposed for the spatially varying coefficient models with unknown error distribution, unlike geographically weighted regression (GWR) and local linear geographically weighted regression (LL), this method can adapt to different error distributions. A generalized Modal EM algorithm is presented to implement the estimation, and the asymptotic property of the estimator is established. Simulation and real data results show that the gain of the new adaptive method over the GWR and LL estimation is considerable for the error of non-Gaussian distributions.

Vegetable grafting has become an important method for developing resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and increasing potential yield in agronomic practice. To determine the effects of grafting on tomato taste, we examined the cultivated tomato ‘Moneymaker’ and the wild tomato Solanum pimpinellifolium, which have different fruit weights and qualities, to investigate the effect of grafting on sugars, acids, and volatiles in single-head and double-head grafted plants using GC-MS and LC-MS. We observed that the contents of sugars, acids and volatiles in heterografted tomato pericarps are influenced by rootstocks. Different metabolites exhibit distinct responses to the rootstock and might be associated with rootstock-scion interactions. Comparison of the metabolites in the heterogeneous fruit of the single- and double-head grafted plants indicates that the grafting method also influences the metabolic changes in grafted plants. Moreover, we also identified numerous mobile transcripts and determined that the mobile mRNAs are associated with metabolic processes in tomato leaves. Our work helps to elucidate the effect of genotype and graft method on fruit quality and may provide a basis for future research on rootstock breeding and selection in plants.

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a peripheral nerve disorder often accompanied by abnormalities in mood. The lateral habenula (LHb) plays important roles in the modulation of pain and emotion. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of the LHb in the mechanisms underlying allodynia and anxiety induced by partial transection of the infraorbital nerve (pT-ION) in mice. Our results indicated that pT-ION induced persistent orofacial allodynia and anxiety-like behaviors, which were correlated with increased phosphorylation of N-Methyl D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) subtype 2B (p-NR2B) and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (p-CaMKII) in LHb neurons. Bilateral inhibition of NMDARs and CaMKII in the LHb attenuated the allodynia and anxiety-like behavior induced by pT-ION. Furthermore, bilateral activation of NMDARs in the LHb increased the expression of p-NR2B and p-CaMKII and induced orofacial allodynia and anxiety-like behaviors in naive mice. Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated expression of hM3D(Gq) in CaMKII+ neurons of the bilateral LHb, followed by clozapine-N-oxide (CNO) administration, also triggered orofacial allodynia and anxiety-like behaviors in naïve mice with successful virus infection in LHb neurons (verified based on immunofluorescence). In conclusion, these findings suggest that activation of NMDA/CaMKII signaling in the LHb contributes to the occurrence and development of TN and related anxiety-like behaviors. Therefore, suppressing the activity of CaMKII+ neurons in the bilateral LHb by targeting NMDA/CaMKII may represent a novel strategy for treating pain and anxiety associated with TN.

Background: Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has advantages in treating sequela symptoms of pediatric pneumonia convalescence. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CHM using a meta-analysis approach.Methods: The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that met the search strategy were selected from seven databases from the inception date to December 17, 2021. Based on the Cochrane handbook, the quality of the selected studies was assessed using the risk of bias. Data were expressed as relative risk (RR) or mean difference (MD) and with 95% confidence interval (CI). Subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were performed. The Grading Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) method was used to assess the evidence certainty.Result: Twenty RCTs with 2,241 participants were identified using the search criteria. CHMs included Danshen injection, Liujunzi decoction, Qingfei Tongluo decoction, Yiqi Huoxue decoction, Yupingfeng granule, XiaoErFeiKe granule, Sha-Sheng-Mai-Dong decoction, and so on. Results indicated that CHM combined with Western medicine (WM) or CHM alone improved the total clinical effective rate (RR = 1.22; 95% CI: 1.15–1.29), reduced cough relief time (MD = −2.16; 95% CI: −2.46 to −1.85), lung rales disappearance time (MD = −1.82; 95% CI: −2.17 to −1.47), and length of hospital stay (MD = −2.01, 95% CI: −3.81 to −0.22) in the treatment of pneumonia convalescence in children. However, there was no significant statistical difference regarding the incidence of adverse reactions (RR = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.23–1.43).Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/; Identifier CRD42022298936

In order to investigate the antibacterial mechanism of tea polyphenols and theaflavins against oral cariogenic bacteria, the pH value of the culture medium, the number of bacteria adhering to the smooth glass tube wall, and the electrical conductivity value within 10 h were measured, respectively. The effects of four concentrations of tea polyphenols and theaflavins below the MIC value were studied on acid production, adhesion, and electrical conductivity of oral cariogenic bacteria. The live/dead staining method was used to observe the effects of four concentrations of tea polyphenols and theaflavins below the MIC value on the biofilm formation of oral cariogenic bacteria under a laser scanning confocal microscope. With the increase in concentrations of tea polyphenols and theaflavins, the acid production and adhesion of the cariogenic bacteria gradually decreased, and the conductivity gradually increased. However, the conductivity increase was not significant (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the 1/2MIC and 1/4MIC tea polyphenols and theaflavins treatments significantly reduced the biomass of the cariogenic biofilm (p < 0.05). The confocal laser scanning microscope showed that the integrated optical density of green fluorescence of the cariogenic biofilm gradually decreased with the increase in agent concentration after the action of tea polyphenols and theaflavins.

The global reduction in child undernutrition highlights the international and national commitment to prioritizing future generations’ health. This study aims to find out the previous trends in nutrition and the key drivers of these changes in different regions of Pakistan. For empirical investigation, we employed a regression-based decomposition model by using two distinct rounds of demographic and health surveys: 2012-13 and 2017-18. Results showed children with stunted growth reduced substantially in Balochistan, while Punjab exhibited the highest progress for underweight children. Regression estimates showed that maternal nutritional status and household wealth were more pronounced in reducing all measures of child malnutrition. Some determinants, including mother age at marriage and prenatal visits to the hospital, are significant only for long-term nutritional status—stunting, while mother education contributed to reducing wasted and underweight children. The rest of the factors, like father education and household environment, appear to play a humble role in explaining nutritional improvements. From disaggregated analysis based on different regions, we found that modeled factors used in this study explained changes disproportionately. Thus, it is recommended to use multidimensional nutrition policies incorporating a broader range of sectors, and region-specific programs should be designed for more effective outcomes.

Dynamic globularization behavior of Ti–6Al–3Mo–2Zr–2Sn–2Nb–1Cr alloy with a colony microstructure was inverstigated through hot compression tests at the temperature range of 830–920 °C and strain rate of 0.001~1s−1. The experimental results show that the stress–strain curves exhibit a peak stress followed by a flow softening at smaller strain, and the globularization of α plate are the main softening mechanisms. It is very much evident that new globularized grains are evolved by the wedgesing mechanism as well as geometric dynamic recrystallization. Both the globularization fraction and globularized grain size depends sensitively on deformation conditions. Small globularized fraction at temperature of lower than 830 °C and coarsened globularized grains predominantly at higher than 920 °C. Additionally, the deformation activation energy of 665.6 kJ/mol was determined. Based on Arrhhenius equation, the flow stress model of the alloy with the correlation coefficient R was 0.99236 was established.

Fruit firmness is an important target for breeders and a key determinant of shelf life for many fruits. Here the authors show that mutating tomato FIS1, a GA2-oxidase, increases the concentration of bioactive gibberellins, enhances cutin and wax biosynthesis and increases fruit firmness.

Effective and accurate assessment of grassland above-ground biomass (AGB) especially via remote sensing (RS), is crucial for forage-livestock balance and ecological environment protection of alpine grasslands. Because of complexity and extensive spatial distribution of natural grassland resources, the RS estimation models based on moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data exhibited low accuracy and poor stability. In this study, various methods for estimating the AGB of alpine grassland vegetation using MODIS vegetation indices were evaluated by combining with meteorology, soil, topography geography and in situ measured AGB data (during grassland growing season from 2011 to 2016) in Gannan region. Results show that 1) five out of ten factors (elevation, slope, aspect, topographic position, temperature, precipitation and the concentration of clay and sand in the soil) exert significant effects on grassland AGB, with R2 0.04-0.39, and RMSE 859.68-1075.09 kg/ha, respectively; 2) the accuracy and stability of AGB estimation model can be improved by constructing multivariate models, especially using multivariate nonparameter models; 3) the optimum estimation model is constructed on the basis of random forest algorithm (RF). Compared with univariate/multivariate parameter models, RMSE of RF model decreased 26.45%-44.27%. Meanwhile, RF models can explain 89.41% variation in AGB during grass growing season. This study presented a more suitable RS inversion model integrated MODIS vegetation indices and other effect factors. Besides, the accuracy based on MODIS data was greatly improved. Thus, our study provides a scientific basis for effective and accurate estimating alpine grassland AGB.

Alpine ecosystems are sensitive and vulnerable to climate change. In this study, we extracted three phonological parameters, viz. the start of the growing season (SOS), the end of the growing season (EOS), and the length of the growing season (LOS) from the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) dataset during 2000–2019 for alpine grasslands across the three parallel rivers region (TPRR), and also examined the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the three phenological parameters in seasonally frozen ground regions (hereafter referred to as SFGR) in response to climate change. The results showed that the multiyear mean SOS gradually delayed from 100 to 160 days along higher elevation, EOS advanced as a whole (from 320 to 280 days), and LOS shortened (from 210 to 130 days). The multiyear mean spatial distribution of all the three parameters showed significant north-to-south differences in the TPRR. In general, the variation trends in all the phenological parameters were not significant (p > 0.05) in the past 20 years, where SOS was advanced by 0.16 days year−l, EOS delayed by 0.08 days year−l, and consequently LOS extended at a rate of 0.07 days year−l, likely due to the warming and drying climate during the study period. In addition, annual mean temperature (AMT) was negatively correlated with SOS (50.26%) and positively correlated with EOS and LOS (72.25 and 60%, respectively). As for the annual mean total precipitation (AMP), it was positively correlated with SOS and EOS (50.77 and 52.97%, respectively) and negatively correlated with LOS (52.07%). Furthermore, a higher freezing index led to a delayed SOS and an advanced EOS and a shortened LOS at the regional scale. Similar to AMT, a higher thawing index advanced the SOS, delayed the EOS, and extended the LOS. Our results confirmed the importance of climate and permafrost status on vegetation phenological processes and also contributed toward understanding the response of cold region ecosystems to global climate change.

The Yellow River basin (YRB) has played an important role in the forming of Chinese civilization. Located in the upper reaches of the YRB and the southeastern edge of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP), the Gannan Plateau (GP), which consists of mainly alpine and mountain ecosystems, is one of the most important water conservation areas for the Yellow River and recharges 6.59 billion cubic meters of water to the Yellow River each year, accounting for 11.4% of the total runoff of the Yellow River. In the past 30 years, due to climate change and intense human activities, the GP is facing increasing challenges in maintaining its ecosystem integrity and security. Vegetation is a central component of the terrestrial ecosystem and is also key to maintaining ecosystem functioning and services. To form sound ecological restoration projects for the GP and the upper reaches of the YRB in general, this study assesses the trend in FVC (Fractional Vegetation Cover) and its drivers across the GP by integrating high-resolution satellite remote sensing images and meteorological data from 2000 to 2020. Results showed that the mean value of FVC for the entire GP between 2000 and 2020 was 89.26%. Aridity was found to be the main factor that determined the spatial distribution of FVC, while ecosystem type exhibited the secondary effect with forests having the highest FVC within each aridity class. From 2000 to 2020, the FVC in 84.11% of the study area did not exhibit significant change, though 10.32% of the study area still experienced a significant increase in FVC. A multi-factor analysis revealed that precipitation surpassed temperature as the main driver for the FVC trend in semi-arid and semi-humid areas, while this pattern was reversed in humid areas. A further residual analysis indicated that human activities only played a minor role in determining the FVC trend in most naturally vegetated areas of the study area, except for semi-arid crops where a significant positive role of human influences on the FVC trend was observed. The findings highlight the fact that aridity and vegetation types interact to explain the relative sensitivity of alpine and mountain ecosystems to climate trends and human influences. Results from this study provide an observational basis for better understanding and pattern prediction of ecosystem functioning and services in the GP under future climate change, which is key to the success of the national strategy that aims to preserve ecosystem integrity and promote high-quality development over the entire YRB.

Vegetation phenology is a commonly used indicator of ecosystem responses to climate change and plays a vital role in ecosystem carbon and hydrological cycles. Previous studies have mostly focused on the response of vegetation phenology to temperature and precipitation. Soil moisture plays an important role in maintaining vegetation growth. However, our understanding of the influences of soil moisture dynamics on vegetation phenology is sparse. In this study, using a time series of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) dataset (2001–2020), the start of the growing season (SOS), the end of the growing season (EOS), and the length of the growing season (LOS) in the Qilian Mountains (QLMs) were extracted. The spatiotemporal patterns of vegetation phenology (SOS, EOS, and LOS) were explored. The partial coefficient correlations between the SOS, EOS, and seasonal climatic factors (temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture) were analyzed. The results showed that the variation trends of vegetation phenology were not significant (p > 0.05) from 2001 to 2020, the SOS was advanced by 0.510 d/year, the EOS was delayed by 0.066 d/year, and the LOS was prolonged by 0.580 d/year. The EOS was significantly advanced and the LOS significantly shortened with increasing altitude. The seasonal temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture had spatiotemporal heterogeneous effects on the vegetation phenology. Overall, compared with temperature and soil moisture, precipitation had a weaker influence on the vegetation phenology in the QLMs. For different elevation zones, the temperature and soil moisture influenced the vegetation phenology in most areas of the QLMs, and spring temperature was the key driving factor influencing SOS; the autumn soil moisture and autumn temperature made the largest contributions to the variations in EOS at lower (3500 m a.s.l.), respectively. For different vegetation types, the spring temperature was the main factor influencing the SOS for broadleaf forests, needleleaf forests, shrublands, and meadows because of the relative lower soil moisture stress. The autumn soil moisture was the main factor influencing EOS for deserts because of the strong soil moisture stress. Our results demonstrate that the soil moisture strongly influences vegetation phenology, especially at lower elevations and water-limited areas. This study provides a scientific basis for better understanding the response of vegetation phenology to climate change in arid mountainous areas and suggests that the variation in soil moisture should be considered in future studies on the influence of climate warming and environmental effects on the phenology of water-limited areas.

Ruditapes philippinarum conglutination mud (RPM) is a typical waste by-product from manila clam R. philippinarum aquaculture. However, RPM from the clam at an aquaculture farm in Zhoushan, China, has been newly reported as a promising natural bioflocculant resource that contains effective flocculating polysaccharides from the clam associated bacteria. With an intent to figure out whether RPM flocculation activity is ubiquitous to the manila clam across a wide geographical range or only the Zhoushan location, and to explore the flocculation production basis and ultimately widen its exploitation scope, in this study, an extensive survey of RPMs from four representative locations along the coast of China was performed to determine their flocculation activity, polysaccharide constitution and bacterial community composition. Frozen preserved RPM samples from Zhoushan, Dalian, Weihai and Zhanjiang exhibited comparable flocculation activities (FRs) ranging from 61.9±2.4% to 73.2±0.9% at dosage of 8 g·L-1; while fresh RPMs from Zhoushan exhibited a much higher flocculation activity of 91.34±1.18% than its frozen counterpart. Polysaccharide extracts from the four locations showed similar monosaccharide constitutions to some extent. The geographical distribution led to certain variation in bacterial community structures. The similarity clustering of the polysaccharide compositions coincided with that of bacterial community structures from RPMs, suggesting that polysaccharides and respective bacterial communities might be the foundation of the flocculation activity for all RPMs. The overlapping OTUs across all the RPMs accounted for 44.6–62.22% of the overall sequences in each sample and contained the vast majority of the most abundant OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units), forming a common "core microbiome" that is probably responsible for polysaccharide production and flocculation activity development.

Silica nanoparticles hold tremendous potential for the encapsulation of enzymes. However, aqueous alcohol solutions and catalysts are prerequisites for the production of silica nanoparticles, which are too harsh for maintaining the enzyme activity. Herein, a procedure without any organic solvents and catalysts (acidic or alkaline) is developed for the synthesis of silica-encapsulated glucose-oxidase-coated magnetic nanoparticles by a facile self-assembly route, avoiding damage of the enzyme structure in the reaction system. The encapsulated enzyme was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometry, and a vibrating sample magnetometer. Finally, a colorimetric sensing method was developed for the detection of glucose in urine samples based on the encapsulated glucose oxidase and a hydrogen peroxide test strip. The method exhibited a good linear performance in the concentration range of 20~160 μg mL−1 and good recoveries ranging from 94.3 to 118.0%. This work proves that the self-assembly method could be employed to encapsulate glucose oxidase into silica-coated magnetic particles. The developed colorimetric sensing method shows high sensitivity, which will provide a promising tool for the detection of glucose and the monitoring of diabetes.

Amino acid neurotransmitters have been shown to correlate with Tourette syndrome (TS) and its comorbidities. In this study, we investigated the effects of Jian-Pi-Zhi-Dong Decoction (JPZDD), a formula containing 10 different Chinese medical herbs, on amino acid neurotransmitters in rats. We established a rat model of Tourette syndrome and comorbid anxiety with an iminodipropionitrile injection plus uncertain empty water bottle stimulation for 3 weeks. Then the rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group and model group were gavaged with saline, while the remaining two treatment groups were gavaged with fluoxetine hydrochloride or JPZDD for four consecutive weeks. We recorded the behaviors of the rats with TS and comorbid anxiety by stereotypy recording, open field test, and elevated plus maze. We observed mitochondrial changes with transmission electron microscopy. We measured the content of glutamate (GLU) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) both in the serum and striatum and the expression of their receptors by Western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction. The study revealed that JPZDD was effective in alleviating the behavioral symptoms of both tic and anxiety in the rat model groups. These results might be associated with the increase in GABA levels and decrease in GLU levels in the serum, as well as an increase in striatal GABA level by the activation of GABA receptors Type A (GABAAR). JPZDD treatment also reversed the mitochondrial dysfunction both in the striatum and cortex in affected animals.

Human activities have greatly influenced the natural nitrogen cycle, causing dramatic degradation of ecosystem function. Net anthropogenic nitrogen input (NANI) is an important factor contributing to the impact of human activities on the regional nitrogen cycle. Here, we analyzed the temporal and spatial variation of NANI in the Pearl River Basin of China between 1986 to 2015, and found that the total amount of NANI significantly increased from 3,362.25 kg N km-2 yr-1 to 8,071.15 kg N km-2 yr-1. Application of nitrogen fertilizers was the largest component of NANI in the Basin, accounting for 55.53% in the total NANI, followed by food/feed net nitrogen input (21.26%), atmospheric nitrogen deposition (12.95%), and crop nitrogen fixation (10.26%). Over the last three decades, nitrogen inputs from atmospheric nitrogen deposition have become the second largest source of NANI due to rapid industrialization and urbanization in the region. Regression analysis showed that the rapid growth of both GDP and population density were the main contributors to the increase of NANI. In addition, the increase in the number of red tides in the Pearl River Estuary was strongly correlated with NANI discharge (R2 = 0.90, p

Evolution of microstructure and the globularization mechanism of α lamellar for TC21 titanium alloy during multi-directional forging (MDF) were analyzed with the help of OM, SEM, EDS and TEM techniques, FE simulation was also used to observe the above process. The main conclusions are as follows: With the increase of temperature, forging cycle and single pass strain, the fraction of globularization of α lamellar gradually improved. The volume fraction of globularization of α lamellar achieves a high value about 85%, the average grain size of TC21 titanium alloy can be refined to 2 μ m through MDFed at 910 °C with strain of 0.69 in 3 cycles. Forging cycle is the most key factor to obtain the ideal microstructure. Increasing temperature and MDFed pass can not only promote the fraction of DRX (dynamic recrystallization), but also achieve uniformity of deformation. The error between simulation and experiment is below 14%. DRX is the major globularization mechanism of the α lamellar during MDF. In the early stage of MDF process, the globularization mechanism is boundary splitting accompanied by CDRX (continuous dynamic recrystallization) and DDRX (discontinuous dynamic recrystallization), which is formed by the β phase into α lamella along the sub-grain boundaries. In the later stage of the process, the globularization mechanism is termination migration, which is caused by elements diffusion due to variant curvature of different position of α lamellar, while a slow process for globularization.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that can regulate target gene expression during many plant growth and development processes. In recent years, several studies identified the miRNAs involved in fruit development, leaf development, and abiotic responses in tomato. However, little is known about the miRNAs that respond to insect attack. Here, miRNAs were identified by high-throughput sequencing at different stages after infections by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci in Solanum lycopersicum and Solanum habrochaites, which are susceptible and resistant to whitefly, respectively. A total of 44 known miRNA families were identified, and 33 were shared between the two species. Among these, 13 miRNA families were newly reported in tomato. After strict filtering, some novel miRNAs were also discovered. The global expression patterns of the miRNAs exhibited were different between the two species, reflecting their different responses and resistance levels to whitefly attack. Some of the predicted target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs may be involved in responding to, and defending against, diseases and insects. Thus, plant miRNAs are important in the responses to, and resistance against, insects and provide a useful resource for further investigations into the mechanism of miRNA-mediated plant–insect interactions. Keywords: Solanum lycopersicum, Solanum habrochaites, Bemisia tabaci, miRNAs, whitefly infection, high-throughput sequencing

Topographic factors are critical for influencing vegetation distribution patterns, and studying the interactions between them can enhance our understanding of future vegetation dynamics. We used the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (MODIS NDVI) image dataset (2000–2019), combined with the Digital Elevation Model (DEM), and vegetation type data for trend analysis, and explored NDVI variation and its relationship with topographic factors through an integrated geographically-weighted model in the Three Parallel Rivers Region (TPRR) of southeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) in the past 20 years. Our results indicated that there was no significant increase of NDVI in the entire basin between 2000–2019, except for the Lancang River basin. In the year 2004, abrupt changes in NDVI were observed across the entire basin and each sub-basin. During 2000–2019, the mean NDVI value of the whole basin increased initially and then decreased with the increasing elevation. However, it changed marginally with variations in slope and aspect. We observed a distinct spatial heterogeneity in vegetation patterns with elevation, with higher NDVI in the southern regions NDVI than those in the north as a whole. Most of the vegetation cover was concentrated in the slope range of 8~35°, with no significant difference in distribution except flat land. Furthermore, from 2000 to 2019, the vegetation cover in the TPRR showed an improving trend with the changes of various topographic factors, with the largest improvement area (36.10%) in the slightly improved category. The improved region was mainly distributed in the source area of the Jinsha River basin and the southern part of the whole basin. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) analysis showed that elevation was negatively correlated with NDVI trends in most areas, especially in the middle reaches of Nujiang River basin and Jinsha River basin, where the influence of slope and aspect on NDVI change was considerably much smaller than elevation. Our results confirmed the importance of topographic factors on vegetation growth processes and have implications for understanding the sustainable development of mountain ecosystems.

Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne pathogen with a significant impact on public health worldwide. A great number of outbreaks caused by L. monocytogenes has been reported, especially in the United States, and European countries. However, listeriosis has not yet been included in notifiable disease in China, and thus information on this infection has been scarce among the Chinese population. In this study, we described a 3-year surveillance of listeriosis in Beijing, China. Fifty-six L. monocytogenes strains isolated from 49 clinical infectious cases (27 pregnancy-associated infections and 22 non-pregnancy-associated infections) were analyzed by serotyping, pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and antimicrobial susceptibility testing between 2014 and 2016 in Beijing. The predominant serogroups were 1/2a,3a and 1/2b,3b,7 which accounted for 92% of the overall isolates. Four strains were serogroup 4b,4d,4e, isolated from patients with pregnancy-associated infections. Based on PFGE, these isolates were divided into 32 pulsotypes (PTs) and 3 clusters associated with serogroups. Ten PTs were represented by more than one isolate with PT09 containing the most number of isolates. MLST differentiated the isolates into 18 STs, without new ST designated. The three most common STs were ST8 (18.4%), ST5 (16.3%), and ST87 (12.2%), accounting for 46.9% of the isolates. STs prevalent in other parts of the world were also present in China such as ST1, ST2, ST5, ST8, and ST9 which caused maternal fetal infections or outbreaks. However, the STs and serogroup distribution of clinical L. monocytogenes in Beijing, China was different from those in other countries. Strains of ST1 and ST2 were isolated from patients with pregnancy-associated infection, whereas none of ST155 isolates caused pregnancy-associated cases. Surveillance of molecular characterization will provide important information for prevention of listeriosis. This study also enhances our understanding of genetic diversity of clinical L. monocytogenes in China.

Ruditapes philippinarum conglutination mud (RPM) is a byproduct from the aquiculture of an important commercially bivalve mollusk R. philippinarum and has been recently reported as a promising natural bioflocculant resource. However the origin of bioflocculation components within RPM is still a pending doubt and impedes its effective exploitation. This study investigated the probability that RPM bioflocculation components originate from its associated microbes. RPM samples from an aquaculture farm in Zhoushan of China were applied to characterize its microbial community structure, screen associated bioflocculant-producing strains, and explore the homology between extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) from bioflocculant-producing isolates and RPM flocculation components. Results showed that RPM exhibited high bacterial biodiversity, with Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria as the most abundant phyla; hgcI_clade, CL500_29_marine_group, Fusibacter, MWH_UniP1_aquatic_group and Arcobacter as the dominant genera. Fourteen highly efficient bioflocculant-producing strains were screened and phylogenetically identified as Pseudoalteromonas sp. (5), Psychrobacter sp. (3), Halomonas sp. (2), Albirhodobacter sp. (1), Celeribacter sp. (1), Kocuria sp. (1) and Bacillus sp. (1), all of which except Bacillus sp. were reported for the first time for their excellent flocculation capability. Furthermore, EPS from the bioflocculant-producing strains exhibited highly similar monosaccharide composition to the reported flocculation-effective RPM polysaccharides. On the other hand, the existence of fungi in RPM was rare and showed no flocculation functionality. Findings from Zhoushan RPM strongly supported that RPM flocculation components were of bacterial origin and make RPM reproduction possible by fermentation approach.

In eukaryotes, alternative splicing (AS) is one of the posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms that play important roles by generating transcriptome diversity. To obtain a global view of AS and its dynamics during tomato fruit development, we analyzed the AS events using a large amount of transcriptome datasets. Same with other plant species, about half of the expressed multiexonic genes were alternatively spliced in tomato. Besides that, our further analyzation of RNA-seq datasets of ovule and pericarp at early fruit developmental stages reveals that the dynamic alteration of AS events occurred in specific tissues and AS was regulated spatially and temporally during early fruit development in tomato. By investigating the sequence variations at splice sites causing differential AS events between tomato cultivar ‘Moneymaker’ and wild species Solanum pimpinellifolium PI365967, we uncover that AS may play the regulatory roles during domestication of tomato. Taken together, our results provided the global AS pattern in tomato and highlighted the importance of AS during tomato fruit development and domestication.

ABSTRACT Acyl coenzyme A (CoA)-binding protein (ACBP) can bind acyl-CoAs with high specificity and affinity, thus playing multiple roles in cellular functions. Mitochondria of the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii have emerged as key organelles for lipid metabolism and signaling transduction. However, the rationale for how this parasite utilizes acyl-CoA-binding protein to regulate mitochondrial lipid metabolism remains unclear. Here, we show that an ankyrin repeat-containing protein, TgACBP2, is localized to mitochondria and displays active acyl-CoA-binding activities. Dephosphorylation of TgACBP2 is associated with relocation from the plasma membrane to the mitochondria under conditions of regulation of environmental [K+]. Under high [K+] conditions, loss of ACBP2 induced mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis-like cell death. Disruption of ACBP2 caused growth and virulence defects in the type II strain but not in type I parasites. Interestingly, mitochondrial association factor-1 (MAF1)-mediated host mitochondrial association (HMA) restored the growth ability of ACBP2-deficient type II parasites. Lipidomics analysis indicated that ACBP2 plays key roles in the cardiolipin metabolism of type II parasites and that MAF1 expression complemented the lipid metabolism defects of ACBP2-deficient type II parasites. In addition, disruption of ACBP2 caused attenuated virulence of Prugniuad (Pru) parasites for mice. Taking the results collectively, these data indicate that ACBP2 is critical for the growth and virulence of type II parasites and for the growth of type I parasites under high [K+] conditions. IMPORTANCE Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most successful human parasites, infecting nearly one-third of the total world population. T. gondii tachyzoites residing within parasitophorous vacuoles (PVs) can acquire fatty acids both via salvage from host cells and via de novo synthesis pathways for membrane biogenesis. However, although fatty acid fluxes are known to exist in this parasite, how fatty acids flow through Toxoplasma lipid metabolic organelles, especially mitochondria, remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that Toxoplasma expresses an active ankyrin repeat containing protein TgACBP2 to coordinate cardiolipin metabolism. Specifically, HMA acquisition resulting from heterologous functional expression of MAF1 rescued growth and lipid metabolism defects in ACBP2-deficient type II parasites, manifesting the complementary role of host mitochondria in parasite cardiolipin metabolism. This work highlights the importance of TgACBP2 in parasite cardiolipin metabolism and provides evidence for metabolic association of host mitochondria with T. gondii.

The Neospora caninum immune mapped protein 1 (NcIMP1) was identified as a membrane protein, and a previous study indicated that NcIMP1 could be a promising vaccine candidate against neosporosis. In this study, the immune response and protection efficacy of NcIMP1 were evaluated. The coding sequence of NcIMP1 was inserted into the eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA 3.1(+), resulting in the recombination plasmid pcDNA-IMP1, which was used for the intramuscular immunization of BALB/c mice. After immunization, the immune response was evaluated using a lymphoproliferative assay and cytokine and antibody measurements. Quantification of the cerebral parasite burden of mice challenged with 2 × 106N. caninum was performed 14 days after the last immunization. The results showed that the mice immunized with pcDNA-IMP1 developed a high level of specific antibody responses against recombinant NcIMP1, with a mixed IgG1/IgG2a response and a predominance of IgG2a production. The cellular immune response was associated with the production of IFN-&Ggr;, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-10 cytokines. The experiment was terminated 30 days p.i., and the cerebral parasite burden in each mouse was assessed by quantitative PCR. The parasite burden was significantly reduced in the pcDNA-IMP1-vaccinated mice. These data suggest that IMP1 is a promising vaccine candidate against neosporosis.

This research extends upon land cover change studies by incorporating methodological approaches, which are compatible with heterogeneous ecosystems, are able to link landscape changes to system processes, such as climate change, and provide potential linkages to concepts of ecological resilience. The study region in southern Africa experienced a significant climatic shift in the 1970s, resulting in drier conditions. The state of these ecosystems and their response to such climatic shock is quantified in terms of vegetation amount and heterogeneity. We monitor these characteristics pre- and post-disturbance using a Landsat image series and examine the utility of continuous characterizations of land cover for measuring ecosystem resilience. Land cover change is evaluated using a mean-variance analysis in concert with a spatial persistence analysis. This investigation indicates that although the impact of the decreased precipitation is evident in the 1980s, recovery occurred by the 1990s and 2000s. We found the continuous methodological approach used holds potential for studying heterogeneous landscapes within a resilience framework.

Grassland cover and its temporal changes are key parameters in the estimation and monitoring of ecosystems and their functions, especially via remote sensing. However, the most suitable model for estimating grassland cover and the differences between models has rarely been studied in alpine meadow grasslands. In this study, field measurements of grassland cover in Gannan Prefecture, from 2014 to 2016, were acquired using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology. Single-factor parametric and multi-factor parametric/non-parametric cover inversion models were then constructed based on 14 factors related to grassland cover, and the dynamic variation of the annual maximum cover was analyzed. The results show that (1) nine out of 14 factors (longitude, latitude, elevation, the concentrations of clay and sand in the surface and bottom soils, temperature, precipitation, enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)) exert a significant effect on grassland cover in the study area. The logarithmic model based on EVI presents the best performance, with an R2 and RMSE of 0.52 and 16.96%, respectively. Single-factor grassland cover inversion models account for only 1–49% of the variation in cover during the growth season. (2) The optimum grassland cover inversion model is the artificial neural network (BP-ANN), with an R2 and RMSE of 0.72 and 13.38%, and SDs of 0.062% and 1.615%, respectively. Both the accuracy and the stability of the BP-ANN model are higher than those of the single-factor parametric models and multi-factor parametric/non-parametric models. (3) The annual maximum cover in Gannan Prefecture presents an increasing trend over 60.60% of the entire study area, while 36.54% is presently stable and 2.86% exhibits a decreasing trend.

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing gastric cancer (AFPGC), represented by the production of AFP, has a more aggressive behavior than common gastric cancer. The underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)) is used clinically to treat acute promyelocytic leukemia(APL) and has activity in vitro against several solid tumor cell lines, with induction of apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation the prime effects. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) has an important role in tumorigenesis of various primary cancers and cancer cell by upregulating cell-survival and downregulating tumor suppressor proteins. Here, we found decreased expression of AFP and STAT3 after induction of apoptosis by As(2)O(3) in the AFPGC FU97 cells. Also, the level of the STAT3 target oncogene Bcl-2 was decreased with As(2)O(3), and that of the tumor suppressor Bax was increased. Furthermore, STAT3 expression and depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis were associated. Survival of patients with gastric cancer was lower with AFP and STAT3 double overexpression than with overexpression of either alone. Downregulation of AFP and STAT3 expression plays an important role in As(2)O(3)-induced apoptosis of AFPGC cells, which suggests a new mechanism of As(2)O(3)-induced cell apoptosis. As(2)O(3) may be a possible agent for AFPGC treatment.

Stem cells are crucial in morphogenesis in plants and animals. Much is known about the mechanisms that maintain stem cell fates or trigger their terminal differentiation. However, little is known about how developmental time impacts stem cell fates. Using Arabidopsis floral stem cells as a model, we show that stem cells can undergo precise temporal regulation governed by mechanisms that are distinct from, but integrated with, those that specify cell fates. We show that two microRNAs, miR172 and miR165/166, through targeting APETALA2 and type III homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) genes, respectively, regulate the temporal program of floral stem cells. In particular, we reveal a role of the type III HD-Zip genes, previously known to specify lateral organ polarity, in stem cell termination. Both reduction in HD-Zip expression by over-expression of miR165/166 and mis-expression of HD-Zip genes by rendering them resistant to miR165/166 lead to prolonged floral stem cell activity, indicating that the expression of HD-Zip genes needs to be precisely controlled to achieve floral stem cell termination. We also show that both the ubiquitously expressed ARGONAUTE1 (AGO1) gene and its homolog AGO10, which exhibits highly restricted spatial expression patterns, are required to maintain the correct temporal program of floral stem cells. We provide evidence that AGO10, like AGO1, associates with miR172 and miR165/166 in vivo and exhibits "slicer" activity in vitro. Despite the common biological functions and similar biochemical activities, AGO1 and AGO10 exert different effects on miR165/166 in vivo. This work establishes a network of microRNAs and transcription factors governing the temporal program of floral stem cells and sheds light on the relationships among different AGO genes, which tend to exist in gene families in multicellular organisms.