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Excessive nitrogen promotes the formation of nonproductive tillers in rice, which decreases nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Developing high-NUE rice cultivars through balancing nitrogen uptake and the formation of productive tillers remains a long-standing challenge, yet how these two processes are coordinated in rice remains elusive. Here we identify the transcription factor OsGATA8 as a key coordinator of nitrogen uptake and tiller formation in rice. OsGATA8 negatively regulates nitrogen uptake by repressing transcription of the ammonium transporter gene OsAMT3.2. Meanwhile, it promotes tiller formation by repressing the transcription of OsTCP19, a negative modulator of tillering. We identify OsGATA8-H as a high-NUE haplotype with enhanced nitrogen uptake and a higher proportion of productive tillers. The geographical distribution of OsGATA8-H and its frequency change in historical accessions suggest its adaption to the fertile soil. Overall, this study provides molecular and evolutionary insights into the regulation of NUE and facilitates the breeding of rice cultivars with higher NUE.

Turfgrass lawns provide many environmental benefits, including temperature moderation, soil stabilization in urban centers, and surface water runoff reduction in the rapidly urbanizing societies. Recently, more sustainable management of urban vegetation have arisen to encourage Florida homeowners to shift from high-input (e.g., fertilizer, water) to low-input landscapes through initiatives such as the Florida Friendly Landscapes and Florida Water Star Programs. To support the water conservation programs in Florida, and better understand homeowners' lawn choices, the objective of this study is to identify and evaluate homeowners' preferred turfgrass features for lawn choices and understand the context of promoting sustainable landscaping practices in the state of Florida. Approximately 1000 Florida homeowners were surveyed online and ranked their most preferred turfgrass features out of a set of 12 alternatives. A rank-ordered logit model was utilized to evaluate Florida homeowners’ preferences for different turfgrass features and determine if they influence turfgrass selection for Florida homeowners. The results showed that the top features were drought tolerance, color, frequency of mowing, disease resistance, and pest tolerance. Identification and communication of water proficient, low fertilizer input turfgrass cultivars that are tolerant to environmental stresses (e.g., drought, traffic, shade) are needed in Florida. Policymakers should promote strategies to combat drought tolerant cultivars. Extension agents should educate homeowners on grass dormancy and drought tolerance (affecting color change) as well as promote disease resistance and pest tolerant species through the Florida Friendly Landscape and WaterStar Programs.

Abstract Documenting tangible cultural heritage using 3D modeling techniques is gradually becoming an indispensable component of archaeological practice. The 3D modeling techniques based on photogrammetry and LiDAR scanning enable high-accuracy and high-realistic reconstruction of archaeological sites, and have been proven a powerful tool for documenting archaeological excavations. However, dynamically documenting an ongoing excavation using these techniques is still considered tedious, time-consuming, expensive, and dependent on expertise. Moreover, the application of 3D modeling techniques in archaeological excavations still faces some technical challenges, such as modeling with multi-source and multi-scale data, fusing local models at different times into a whole, achieving fast modeling while GPU workstations are not available in the field, and evaluating the quality of 3D models. As a result, there are still very few archaeological teams deeply engaged in dynamic documentation with 3D modeling techniques, and traditional drawing sketches and taking photographs still dominate. In these senses, documenting the archaeological excavation at the Yunxian Man site (located in Hubei, China) is an invaluable opportunity for exploration and practice. Archaeologists determined to conduct dynamically documenting at the beginning of the 6th excavation project for the site, and established a rotation system to reconcile physical excavation with digital preservation. Through repeated practice and communication, we proposed a workflow and pursued several new methods to enhance the feasibility of dynamically documenting, and obtained 4D models of the ongoing archaeological excavations. In 2022, the Yunxian Man site unearthed the most intact fossil of hominin cranium from about one million years ago in the Eurasian continent, preserving important and scarce anatomical features of early humans in Asia. As the original taphonomic context of the fossil corroded away during physical excavations, the digital documentation consisting of 4D models serves as permanent original data source in subsequent archaeological research. Moreover, we obtained cross-scale 3D models from geographical environment to archaeological site, excavation area, and cultural remains, and all of these 3D models are in an actual, unified coordinate framework. Thus, we can contribute to multidisciplinary cross-collaborative research through data sharing. Considering that digital documentations serve a great value in archaeological research, this paper focuses on sharing the workflow and methods to facilitate digital preservation for more archaeological projects.

Therapeutic option for treating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is urgently required since its resistance to a broad spectrum of currently available antibiotics. Here, we report that isoniazid is able to potentiate the killing efficacy of tigecycline to MRSA. Combination of isoniazid and tigecycline reduce the minimal inhibitory concentration of clinic MRSA strains to tigecycline. The killing activity of tigecycline is further confirmed by killing experiments and murine infection model. We further demonstrate the mechanism that isoniazid increases intracellular accumulation of tigecycline by promoting the influx but limiting the efflux of tigecycline through proton motive force. We also show that isoniazid and tigecycline synergize to increase the abundance of isoniazid-NAD adduct, which in turn damage cell membrane, possibly contributing to the disruption of PMF. Whereas phosphatidylethanolamine and cardiolipin are able to abrogate the synergistic effect of isoniazid plus tigecycline. Thus, our study provide a new perspective that antibiotics, e.g. isoniazid, once recognized only to target Mycobacterium tuberculosis, can be repurposed as antibiotic adjuvant to tigecycline, expanding our choice of antibiotic-antibiotic combinations in treating bacterial infectious diseases.

Abstract NOTCH receptor 3 (NOTCH3) is known to regulate the transcription of oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes, thereby playing a crucial role in tumor development, invasion, maintenance, and chemotherapy resistance. However, the specific mechanism of how NOTCH3 drives immune infiltration in gastrointestinal cancer remains uncertain. The expression of NOTCH3 was analyzed through Western blot, PCR, Oncomine database, and the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) site. Kaplan–Meier plotter, PrognoScan database, and gene expression profile interactive analysis (GEPIA) were used to assess the impact of NOTCH3 on clinical prognosis. The correlation between NOTCH3 expression and immune infiltration gene markers was investigated using TIMER and GEPIA. NOTCH3 was found to be commonly overexpressed in various types of gastrointestinal tumors and was significantly associated with poor prognosis. Furthermore, the expression level of NOTCH3 showed a significant correlation with the tumor purity of gastrointestinal tumors and the extent of immune infiltration by different immune cells. Our findings suggest that NOTCH3 may act as a crucial regulator of tumor immune cell infiltration and can serve as a valuable prognostic biomarker in gastrointestinal cancers.

Objective To establish age estimation models of northern Chinese Han adults using cranial suture images obtained by CT and multiplanar reformation （MPR）, and to explore the applicability of cranial suture closure rule in age estimation of northern Chinese Han population. Methods The head CT samples of 132 northern Chinese Han adults aged 29-80 years were retrospectively collected. Volume reconstruction （VR） and MPR were performed on the skull, and 160 cranial suture tomography images were generated for each sample. Then the MPR images of cranial sutures were scored according to the closure grading criteria, and the mean closure grades of sagittal suture, coronal sutures （both left and right） and lambdoid sutures （both left and right） were calculated respectively. Finally taking the above grades as independent variables, the linear regression model and four machine learning models for age estimation （gradient boosting regression, support vector regression, decision tree regression and Bayesian ridge regression） were established for northern Chinese Han adults age estimation. The accuracy of each model was evaluated. Results Each cranial suture closure grade was positively correlated with age and the correlation of sagittal suture was the highest. All four machine learning models had higher age estimation accuracy than linear regression model. The support vector regression model had the highest accuracy among the machine learning models with a mean absolute error of 9.542 years. Conclusion The combination of skull CT-MPR and machine learning model can be used for age estimation in northern Chinese Han adults, but it is still necessary to combine with other adult age estimation indicators in forensic practice.

Sparse vegetation is a key factor in maintaining the health and sustainability of oasis ecosystems under extreme drought conditions. Combining the advantages of both satellites and drones, using image processing and machine learning technology, it can efficiently and accurately extract information on the vegetation of desert oases, providing a scientific basis for ecological monitoring and management. Therefore, in this study, the Dariyabui natural oasis in the hinterland of the Taklamakan Desert, China, was used as the study area to fuse PLANET and UAV images to screen 19 feature factors from different data sources. The machine learning binary classification model was evaluated based on the overall accuracy (OA, %), kappa, balanced accuracy (BA, %), F1_score (F1, %), and Area Under Curve (AUC) values. The results were validated using aerial imaging data from different months. The results show that (1) the primary feature factors for extracting sparse ground vegetation information in a desert oasis include the soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI); modified soil-adjusted vegetation index (MSAVI); optimized soil-adjusted vegetation index (OSAVI); and the mean, entropy, contrast, homogeneity, and digital surface models (DSM). (2) The evaluation indices of the fused images in the vegetation information extraction were better than those of the original satellite images; the difference in the extraction effect with the original UAV images was not significant. (3) The random forest (RF) algorithm achieved the best classification accuracy in extracting sparse vegetation information (Kappa = 0.87, OA = 94.12 %, BA = 93.53 %, F1 = 92.13 %, and AUC = 0.967).

BackgroundThe identification of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules (BPN and MPN) can significantly reduce mortality. However, a reliable and validated diagnostic model for clinical decision-making is still lacking.MethodsEnzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and electro chemiluminescent immunoassay were utilized to determine the serum concentrations of 7AABs (p53, GAGE7, PGP9.5, CAGE, MAGEA1, SOX2, GBU4-5), and 4TTMs (CYFR21, CEA, NSE and SCC) in 260 participants (72 BPNs and 188 early-stage MPNs), respectively. The malignancy probability was calculated using Artificial intelligence pulmonary nodule auxiliary diagnosis system, or Mayo model. Along with age, sex, smoking history and nodule size, 18 variables were enrolled for model development. Baseline comparison, univariate ROC analysis, variable correlation analysis, lasso regression, univariate and stepwise logistic regression, and decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to reduce and screen variables. A nomogram and DCA were built for model construction and clinical use. Training (60%) and validation (40%) cohorts were used to for model validation.ResultsAge, CYFRA21_1, AI, PGP9.5, GAGE7, and GBU4_5 was screened out from 18 variables and utilized to establish the regression model for identifying BPN and early-stage MPN, as well as nomogram and DCA for clinical practical use. The AUC of the nomogram in the training and validation cohorts were 0.884 and 0.820, respectively. Moreover, the calibration curve showed high coherence between the predicted and actual probability.ConclusionThis diagnostic model and DCA could provide evidence for upgrading or maintaining the current clinical decision based on malignancy probability stratification. It enables low and moderate risk or ambiguous patients to benefit from more precise clinical decision stratification, more timely detection of malignant nodules, and early treatment.

Abstract Microstructural alterations in the brain networks of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients are correlated with gait impairments. Evaluate microstructural alterations in the white matter (WM) fiber bundle tracts using neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) technique in PD versus healthy controls (HC). In this study, 24 PD patients and 29 HC were recruited. NODDI and high-resolution 3D structural images were acquired for each participant. The NODDI indicators, including the intracellular neurite density index (NDI), orientation dispersion index (ODI), and isotropic volume fraction (ISO), were compared between the two groups. Diffusion-weighted (DW) images were preprocessed using MRtrix 3.0 software and the orientation distribution function to trace the main nerve fiber tracts in PD patients. Quantitative gait and clinical assessment scales were used to compare the medication “ON” and “OFF” states of PD patients. The NDI, ODI, and ISO values of the WM fiber bundles were significantly higher in PD patients compared to HC. Fiber bundles, including the anterior thalamic radiation, corticospinal tract, superior longitudinal fasciculus, forceps major, cingulum, and inferior longitudinal fasciculus, were found to be significantly affected in PD. The NDI changes of PD patients were well correlated with stride lengths in the “ON” state; ODI changes were correlated with the stride time in the “ON” and “OFF” states and ISO changes were correlated with the stride time and cadence in the “ON” state. In conclusion, combination of NODDI technique and gait parameters can help detect gait impairment in PD patients early and accurately.

Abstract Vaccines have proven effective in protecting populations against COVID-19, including the recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (Sf9 cells), the first approved recombinant protein vaccine in China. In this positive-controlled trial with 85 adult participants (Sf9 cells group: n = 44; CoronaVac group: n = 41), we evaluated the safety, immunogenicity, and protective effectiveness of a heterologous boost with the Sf9 cells vaccine in adults who had been vaccinated with the inactivated vaccine, and found a post-booster adverse events rate of 20.45% in the Sf9 cells group and 31.71% in the CoronaVac group (p = 0.279), within 28 days after booster injection. Neither group reported any severe adverse events. Following the Sf9 cells vaccine booster, the geometric mean titer (GMT) of binding antibodies to the receptor-binding domain of prototype SARS-CoV-2 on day 28 post-booster was significantly higher than that induced by the CoronaVac vaccine booster (100,683.37 vs. 9,451.69, p

Phenotypic analysis has significant potential for aiding breeding efforts. However, there is a notable lack of studies utilizing phenotypic analysis in the field of edible fungi. Pleurotus geesteranus is a lucrative edible fungus with significant market demand and substantial industrial output, and early-stage phenotypic analysis of Pleurotus geesteranus is imperative during its breeding process. This study utilizes image recognition technology to investigate the phenotypic features of the mycelium of P. geesteranus. We aim to establish the relations between these phenotypic characteristics and mycelial quality. Four groups of mycelia, namely, the non-degraded and degraded mycelium and the 5th and 14th subcultures, are used as image sources. Two categories of phenotypic metrics, outline and texture, are quantitatively calculated and analyzed. In the outline features of the mycelium, five indexes, namely, mycelial perimeter, radius, area, growth rate, and change speed, are proposed to demonstrate mycelial growth. In the texture features of the mycelium, five indexes, namely, mycelial coverage, roundness, groove depth, density, and density change, are studied to analyze the phenotypic characteristics of the mycelium. Moreover, we also compared the cellulase and laccase activities of the mycelium and found that cellulase level was consistent with the phenotypic indices of the mycelium, which further verified the accuracy of digital image processing technology in analyzing the phenotypic characteristics of the mycelium. The results indicate that there are significant differences in these 10 phenotypic characteristic indices (P

There is a growing trend toward planting native and pollinator-friendly plants in residential gardens and landscapes due to concerns about invasive plant species, water conservation, and urban land management. Yet, understanding consumer purchase behavior and how knowledge affects their purchase intent is largely unknown. In this analysis, we integrated national online and in-person surveys to determine the influence of consumers’ subjective and objective knowledge of native and pollinator-friendly ornamental plants on their purchase decisions. Factors influencing plant purchase decisions were measured using a 7-point Likert rating scale. We found that participants with relatively higher knowledge of native and pollinator-attractive plants placed more emphasis on sustainable production methods relative to the plant’s physical attributes (e.g., plant size, shape, etc.) and care-related characteristics (e.g., plant health, easiness of care, etc.). Plant lovers (i.e., frequent purchasers who spent relatively more money on plants than infrequent purchasers) were more likely to prioritize sustainable production methods over the plants’ physical attributes. In contrast, participants primarily buying plants from mass merchandisers/box stores tend to focus on visual appeal or aesthetic characteristics. Consumer marketing implications for the nursery and greenhouse industry stakeholders are discussed.

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination remains one of the key public health measures against the SARS-CoV-2 infection, significantly reducing illness severity and mortality rates. Urticaria and/or angioedema are cutaneous reactions that have been reported in response to messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccination and potentially affect fitness for revaccination.1 The development of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) post-COVID-19 vaccination2 may further discourage patients from revaccination or preclude revaccination to keep vaccinations updated. We describe a Singapore case series of 64 patients with urticaria post-COVID-19 vaccination, studying patient tolerance to revaccination, immunological profile and development of CSU.

Objective： This study aimed to study the preservation effect of ozone water sterilization combined with chitosan coating on cold fresh yellow cattle. Methods： Three groups were set up as follows: control group A (pure water treatment), experimental group B used 2% chitosan coating on cold fresh yellow cattle, and experimental group C used ozone water sterilization combined with 2% chitosan coating on cold fresh yellow cattle. The effect of ozone sterilization combined with chitosan coating on the preservation of cold fresh yellow cattle was examined using sensory score, chromaticity (L* and a* values), hanging loss rate, TVB-N and total bacterial count. Results： The concentration of ozone water for sterilization was 1.0 mg/L, and the flushing time was 20s. During the same storage period, the sensory and L* values of cold fresh yellow cattle in Group C were significantly higher than those in Group A and Group B (P＜0.05), the hanging loss rate, TVB-N and total viable count were significantly lower than those in Group A and Group B (P＜0.05). The a* value of Group C yellow cattle was significantly lower than those in Group A and Group B (P＜0.05) in the early storage period, but the decline rate in the late storage period was significantly lower than that in Group A and Group B (P＜0.05). Compared with the control group A and experimental group B, the shelf life of group C was extended by 12 days and 4 days, respectively. Conclusion： Ozone sterilization and chitosan coating technology played a synergistic role in the preservation of cold fresh yellow cattle, which can effectively extend its preservation and storage period.

【Objective】The effect of exogenous methyl jasmonate on resistance to bacterial leaf stripe (BLS) was studied, which would provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of BLS in rice.【Method】With rice BLS-resistant and susceptible near isogenic lines (K9 and G9) as materials, 0.1 mmol/L methyl jasmonate (MeJA) were sprayed on BLS-resistant and susceptible near isogenic lines (K9 and G9) plants respectively at tillering stage, and water spraying was used as control (CK). The inoculation with Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzicola (Xoc) were conducted at 0, 12, 24, 48, 72 h after MeJA treatment, then the symptoms of BLS were investigated. In K9 and G9 plants sprayed with MeJA for 48 h then inoculated with Xoc, the expression changes of hormone-pathway related genes were further analyzed at 0, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after inoculation.【Result】In K9 plants, the lesion lengths of leaves inoculated at 0, 24, 48, 72h after being sprayed with MeJA were significantly shorter than those in CK; in G9 plants, the lesion lengths of leaves inoculated at 0 h and 12 h after being sprayed with MeJA were significantly longer than those in CK, while inoculated at 72 h after being sprayed with MeJA were significantly shorter than those in CK. Compared with the CK, relative expression levels of jasmonate-pathway related genes LOX2 and AOS2, and pathogenesis-related gene PR10 were upregulated, while relative expression levels of alicylic acid-pathway related genes PAD4 and PAL, ethylene-pathway related genes EIN2 and ERF70, and pathogenesis-related gene PR1a were downregulated in K9 plants inoculated at 48h after being sprayed with MeJA; relative expression levels of jasmonate-pathway related genes LOX2 and AOS2, salicylic acid-pathway related genes PAD4 and PAL and pathogenesis-related genes PR1a and PR10 were upregulated, while relative expression level of ethylene-pathway related gene EIN2 was downregulated in G9 plants inoculated at 48h after being sprayed with MeJA.【Conclusion】Exogenous MeJA affects the BLS-resistance in rice resistant and susceptible near isogenic lines. The resistance responses of resistant and susceptible near isogenic lines to Xoc are different at different inoculation time points after MeJA treatment. Exogenous MeJA involves in the defense response to Xoc infection by inducing the expression changes of jasmonate, salicylic acid and ethylene pathway-related genes and pathogenesis-related genes.

ABSTRACTShenling Baizhu Powder is a traditional Chinese medicine formula that has been used for thousands of years to invigorate spleen, nourish stomach and regulate immune function. The multi-herbal extracts, an improved formular from Shenling Baizhu Powder, were used in our study to investigate its immune-enhancing effects and underling mechanisms. Based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and SPME-GC-MS analysis, 106 chemical compounds were identified from the extracts. In vitro assays indicated that the extracts could promote cell proliferation and NO secretion of RAW264.7 cells. RNA-seq and RT-qPCR showed that RAW264.7 cells treated with extracts increased the expression of pro-inflammatory factors IL-1β, iNOS, TNF-α, and TGF-β. Western-Blot revealed that the extracts could significantly enhance ERK phosphorylation level, and slightly increased JNK and p38 phosphorylation levels. These data suggest that multi-herbal extracts have a potential of regulating immune response via the JNK/p38/ERK signalling of MAPK pathways in RAW264.7 cells.

Abstract Background Bulimia nervosa (BN) is an eating disorder characterized by recurrent binge eating and compensatory behaviors. The thalamus plays a crucial role in the neural circuitry related to eating behavior and needs to be further explored in BN. Methods In this study, 49 BN patients and 44 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. We applied the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation to investigate regional brain activity in the thalamus and functional connectivity (FC) to examine the synchronization of activity between thalamic subregions and other brain regions in both groups. All results underwent false discovery rate (p

Abstract The calcium channels are the main pathogenesis and therapeutic target for post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE). However, differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and mRNAs associated with calcium channels in PTE and their interactions are poorly understood. We produced a PTE model in rats and conducted RNA-seq in PTE rats. Gene annotation was used to verify differentially expressed mRNAs related to calcium channels. RNAhybrid, PITA, and Miranda prediction were used to build the miRNA–mRNA pairs. Furthermore, Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were used for the functional enrichment analysis of DEMs. The quantification changes of mRNA and miRNA were verified by RT-qPCR. There were 431 identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in PTE rats compared with the sham group, of which five mRNAs and 7 miRNAs were related to calcium channels. The miRNA–mRNA network suggested a negative correlation between 11 pairs of miRNA–mRNA involved in the p53 signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway. RT-qPCR verified three upregulated mRNAs in PTE rats, associated with 7 DEMs negatively related to them, respectively. This study has revealed the changes in miRNA–mRNA pairs associated with calcium channels in PTE, which might contribute to the further interpretation of potential underlying molecular mechanisms of PTE and the discovery of promising diagnostics.