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Abstract The changes and influencing factors of soil inorganic carbon (SIC) and organic carbon (SOC) on precipitation gradients are crucial for predicting and evaluating carbon storage changes at the regional scale. However, people’s understanding of the distribution characteristics of SOC and SIC reserves on regional precipitation gradients is insufficient, and the main environmental variables that affect SOC and SIC changes are also not well understood. Therefore, this study focuses on the Alxa region and selects five regions covered by three typical desert vegetation types, Zygophyllum xanthoxylon (ZX), Nitraria tangutorum (NT), and Reaumuria songarica (RS), along the climate transect where precipitation gradually increases. The study analyzes and discusses the variation characteristics of SOC and SIC under different vegetation and precipitation conditions. The results indicate that both SOC and SIC increase with the increase of precipitation, and the increase in SOC is greater with the increase of precipitation. The average SOC content in the 0–300cm profile is NT (4.13 g kg−1) > RS (3.61 g kg−1) > ZX (3.57 g kg−1); The average value of SIC content is: RS (5.78 g kg−1) > NT (5.11 g kg−1) > ZX (5.02 g kg−1). Overall, the multi-annual average precipitation (MAP) in the Alxa region is the most important environmental factor affecting SIC and SOC.

BackgroundBody constitution is the foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and model workers consist of a special group of workers within China. This study aims to research the relationship between the physical body constitutions based on TCM and the mental health of model workers.MethodsWe recruited 314 model workers from Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital to conduct the questionnaires such as SCL-90 and CCMQ to investigate if there is an association between mental health status and TCM body constitutions. We performed a Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS path modeling).ResultsOur path model results revealed associations between different TCM constitution types and SCL scores, which serve as indicators of psychological well-being. Our research findings demonstrate a strong correlation between the Balanced constitution and elevated levels of psychological well-being, with a path coefficient of -0.503. In contrast, the other eight constitutional types exhibit path coefficients exceeding 0.3, indicating a tendency toward lower levels of psychological well-being. We also investigated the intricate connections between various TCM constitutional types and both mild and severe psychological well-being.ConclusionIn conclusion, the Balanced constitution continues to be closely associated with higher levels of psychological well-being, while the remaining eight body constitution types are consistently linked to lower levels of psychological well-being.

Abstract The quality of the rebar thread head is crucial for the connection between the rebars, thereby affecting the public safety of the building. The edge extraction of the thread image is the most important step in obtaining the accurate size parameters, which helps to complete online inspection of quality. Here, an edge detection method based on improved Canny operator is proposed to solve the problems on sensitivity to noise, existence of false edges, and lack of self‐adaptability. Firstly, an improved adaptive median filtering algorithm is used to denoise the image. Then replace Sobel with Scharr to enhance the gap between pixel values, add 45° and 135° directional templates to prevent edge information loss as well. Besides, introduce a scale factor to improve the interpolation method for non‐maximum suppression and reduce false edges. Finally, use Ostu operator to achieve adaptive extraction of high and low thresholds to complete adaptive edge detection. The qualitative analysis and quantitative results show that the improved algorithm can not only have a good visual effect, have good robustness and feasibility, but also be faster than other algorithms, which provide a basic guarantee for real‐time online quality detection of the thread head.

Desertification poses a serious threat to ecosystem health, and with global changes, the variability and uncertainty of ecological functions in semi-arid alpine regions are increasing. A pressing issue is quantifying how desertification affects the soil system functions in these areas. However, empirical evidence is still lacking in exploring the interaction between desertification degradation gradients and soil functions under natural conditions by coupling soil physicochemical properties, soil microbiota, and vegetation. For this purpose, we conducted a survey sampling of soil and vegetation at five sites with no, light, moderate, severe and extremely severe desertification in Qinghai Area of Qilian Mountains National Park, China. We introduced a new concept soil health stability (SHS) to represent the actual health status of soil systems in semi-arid alpine regions and assessed the impact of desertification on this stability. We observed that the intensification of desertification has led to a significant decrease in soil organic matter, relative abundance of soil microorganisms, and plant factors. The contributions of plant factors and soil microbiota to SHS showed a negative correlation with the degradation gradient. SHS varied across different degradation gradients, rather than following a single linear relationship, with a relatively rapid decline in the transition from non-desertification to moderate desertification. Our work emphasizes that the coupled contributions of soil physicochemical properties, soil microbiota, and vegetation to SHS. It calls for intensified prevention and treatment of mild and moderate desertification, while providing new methods and deeper scientific understanding for accurately evaluating soil system functions in semi-arid alpine regions.

An online inspection method based on machine vision was proposed and validated to address the issues of high work intensity, low efficiency, low accuracy, and risk of missed inspection in traditional sampling methods for screw threads of rebar head. Firstly, an industrial camera was used to capture real-time images of the processed rebar thread heads, preprocess the images, and locate the target positions in the images to reduce the complexity and running time of subsequent algorithms. Then, the Canny operator was used to roughly extract the edge feature information of the rebar head, and the Shi–Tomasi algorithm was used for corner inspection to achieve precise optimization of sub-pixel level corners. Based on robust linear regression, the diagonal points were fitted with lines to detect the corresponding size parameters. Finally, an inspection system on screw threads of rebar head parameter was designed and developed, which consisted of an image-acquisition device, Siemens PLC controller, and inspection software. Test results show that this method can achieve online inspection without contact, with inspection accuracy reaching the micrometer level, and 8–10 rebar heads can be inspected per second.

Aquaporins (AQPs) play an essential role in membrane water transport during plant responses to water stresses centered on conventional upstream signals. Phytohormones (PHs) regulate plant growth and yield, working with transcription factors to help plants withstand environmental challenges and regulate physiological and chemical processes. The AQP gene family is important, so researchers have studied its function and regulatory system in numerous species. Yet, there is a critical gap the understanding of many of their molecular features, thus our full knowledge of AQPs is far-off. In this study, we undertook a broad examination of the AQP family gene in Populus euphratica via bioinformatics tools and analyzed the expression patterns of certain members in response to drought, salt, and hormone stress. A total of 22 AQP genes were examined in P. euphratica, and were categorized into four main groups, including TIPs, PIPs, SIPs, and NIPs based on phylogenetic analysis. Comparable exon–intron gene structures were found by gene structure examination, and similarities in motif number and pattern within the same subgroup was determined by motif analysis. The PeuAQP gene family has numerous duplications, and there is a distinct disparity in how the members of the PeuAQP family react to post-translational modifications. Abiotic stress and hormone responses may be mediated by AQPs, as indicated by the abundance of stress response elements found in 22 AQP genes, as revealed by the promoter’s cis-elements prediction. Expression pattern analysis reveals that selected six AQP genes from the PIP subgroup were all expressed in the leaves, stem, and roots with varying expression levels. Moreover, qRT-PCR analysis discovered that the majority of the selected AQP members were up- or down-regulated in response to hormone treatment and abiotic stress. Remarkably, PeuAQP14 and PeuAQP15 appeared to be highly responsive to drought stress and PeuAQP15 exhibited a high response to salt stress. The foliar application of the phytohormones (SA, IAA, GA3, MeJA, and ABA) were found to either activate or inhibit PeuAQP, suggesting that they may mitigate the effects of water shortage of poplar water stress. The present work enhances our knowledge of the practical roles of AQPs in stress reactions and offers fundamental information for the AQP genes in poplar species. It also highlights a direction for producing new varieties of poplar species with drought, salt, and hormone tolerance and holds substantial scientific and ecological importance, offering a potential contribution to the conservation of poplar species in arid regions.

Abstract Faults in rolling bearings are usually observed through pulses in the vibration signals. However, due to the influence of complex background noise and interference from other machine components present in measurement equipment, vibration signals are typically non‐stationary and often contaminated by noise. Therefore, in order to effectively extract the random variation and non‐linear dynamic variation characteristics of vibration signals, a new method of rolling bearing fault diagnosis based on generalized multiscale mean permutation entropy (GMMPE) and grey wolf optimized least squares support vector machine (GWO‐LSSVM) is put forward in this paper. Based on the multiscale permutation entropy (MPE), the multiscale equalization is firstly used to replace the coarse grained process, and the value of mean is extended to variance to avoid the dynamic mutation of the original signal. Finally, the parameters of LSSVM are optimized by the grey wolf optimization algorithm to achieve accurate identification of fault modes. The results of simulation and experiment show that applying the proposed GMMPE to rolling bearing fault feature extraction is feasible and superior, and the method based on GMMPE and GWO‐LSSVM has better noise robustness, which can effectively achieve rolling bearing fault diagnosis.

Eco-environmental vulnerability reflects the unfavorable degree of the ecological environment presented by external disruptions. The Shiyang River Basin, as a typical desert interior river basin in Northwest China, plays crucial ecological roles. Exploring eco-environmental vulnerability's spatial and temporal evolution is vital to maintaining ecosystem stability. We utilized the ecological sensitivity-resilience-press (SRP) model to create a complete evaluation index system of eco-environmental vulnerability using meteorological, remote sensing, and statistical data. The cloud theory improved analytic hierarchy process (CM-AHP) was used to calculate the subjective weights, the entropy weight method (EWM) was used to estimate the objective weights, and the comprehensive weights of the indicators were determined using the least square method, which combined the subjective and objective weights. From 2000 to 2020, the spatial-temporal features of eco-environmental vulnerability in the research area were analyzed. The results indicate that surface temperature, land use, and monthly precipitation are key factors impacting the state of eco-environmental vulnerability. The basin's potential-vulnerable and light-vulnerable areas are predominantly located in the south and southwest, whereas the northern and eastern areas are classified as severe-vulnerable and extreme-vulnerable. Extreme-vulnerable areas declined from 8.59% in 2000 to 4.3% in 2020, while potential-vulnerable areas climbed from 2.11% in 2000 to 8.08% in 2020. The eco-environmental vulnerability as a whole has evolved in a benign direction. The research results can serve as a theoretical groundwork for the restoration of the Shiyang River Basin's ecological environment and long-term development.

Plantations in dry and semi-arid areas significantly affect the soil’s ability to store carbon and maintain a stable water balance. It is yet unclear, though, how planted trees in these regions might impact the soil’s carbon and water levels. As a forest ages, it is unknown how soil water and soil carbon interact with one another. In order to conduct this study, four Saxaul plantations in the Alxa Plateau were chosen, with the neighboring mobile sandy (MS) ground serving as a control. The ages of the plantations ranged from 5 to 46 years. The major topics of the study included the relationship between soil water and soil carbon, changes in the 0-300 cm soil layer’s soil water content (SWC), soil organic carbon (SOC), and soil inorganic carbon (SIC) following afforestation. The findings demonstrated that, in comparison to MS, afforestation considerably increased SOC and SIC stocks. In comparison to MS, the SIC grew by 4.02 kg m-2, 4.12 kg m-2, 5.12 kg m-2, and 6.52 kg m-2 throughout periods of 5 years, 11 years, 22 years, and 46 years, respectively. SOC increased relative to MS by 2.55 kg m-2, 2.91 kg m-2, 3.53 kg m-2, and 4.05 kg m-2. Afforestation, however, also contributed to a considerable decline in deep SWC and an increase in the soil water deficit (SWD). In comparison to MS, the mean SWC values were lower at 5 years, 11 years, 22 years, and 46 years, respectively, by 0.48%, 1.37%, 1.56%, and 4.00%. The increase in soil carbon pool caused by sand afforestation actually came at the expense of a reduction in soil water due to a large negative association between deep SWC, SOC, and SIC. To limit SWC losses and encourage sustainable forest land development, we advocate suitable harvest management practices on forest land.

Climate change is considered to be a serious threat to crop production around the globe. In the northern Shanxi Province of China (SXN), foxtail millet (or millet) is the main crop and generally grows under rainfed conditions. Existing literature has confirmed the millet yield reductions due to climate change in the past. However, little is known about the impacts of future climate change on millet production in the SXN. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the future climate change impacts under two emission scenarios (SSP245 and SSP585) and the potentials of shifting sowing date combined with supplemental irrigation as an adaptation strategy to climate change for millet production in the SXN using the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT). Two supplemental irrigation strategies were tested: one presowing irrigation only (PSI), and two supplementary irrigations (PSGI) adopting one presowing irrigation and one irrigation during the growing season. We found that the air temperature, solar radiation and precipitation during the millet growing season in the future (2021–2060) are higher than those in the baseline (1981–2020). The rainfed millet yield will decrease by 8.6 % (SSP245) and 16.5 % (SSP585) in the future without an adaptation strategy, compared to the baseline yield (2.43 t ha−1) in 1981–2020 under the conventional sowing date. The reduction in rainfed millet yield caused by climate change cannot be reversed by shifting sowing date, but can be slightly mitigated by a suitable advancement of the sowing date. Adopting supplemental irrigation in the future can achieve higher millet yield than the baseline yield, especially PSGI. Compared to PSI, PSGI consumes more irrigation water but has higher irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). There is a synergy between shifting sowing date and supplemental irrigation in coping with climate change, and a later sowing date than the conventional one (30 April) is recommended under supplemental irrigation in the future. In 2021–2060, the best adaptation strategy to climate change for maximizing grain yield, IWUE and economic benefit in the millet production of the SXN is that supplementary irrigation is applied before sowing and on 20 July–30 July combined with the sowing dates of 10 May–20 May.

Aiming at problems such as inaccurate simulation of groundwater level in closed hydrogeological units, difficult quantitative prediction of soil salinization degree, and unclear water and salt migration, a three-dimensional simulation model of groundwater was established, and the development trend of groundwater level and soil salinization was predicted. The groundwater level simulation results are consistent with the changing trend of the observational data and the simulation model can be used to predict groundwater levels in closed hydrogeological units. When climate scenarios and human activity change are set as future scenarios, the average groundwater buried depth will continue to decrease in the next 10 years, the area with a groundwater buried depth of 0–5 m will exceed 50%, and even the groundwater will overflow to the surface. The change of soil salt content is predicted quantitatively and the salinization degree will develop from ‘saline–alkali soil’ and ‘mild saline–alkali soil’ to ‘medium saline–alkali soil’. The process of water and salt migration in three key hydrologic zones, namely ‘irrigation infiltration’, ‘solute migration’, and ‘water and salt accumulation’, is revealed in the closed hydrogeological unit. The research results can provide new ideas for the improvement of soil and water environment problems. HIGHLIGHTS Simulation and prediction of groundwater level in closed hydrogeological units of arid irrigation areas.; The spatial distribution of salinization in the study area is closely related to the buried depth of groundwater.; The movement of groundwater can be divided into three key hydrological zones: ‘irrigation infiltration’, ‘solute transport’, and ‘water collection and salt accumulation’.;

The spatial and temporal evolution process of the water and soil resource carrying capacity in artificial oases in the arid zone of China was accurately revealed. This study constructs a water and soil resource analysis system based on system dynamics. It integrates cloud theory and hierarchical analysis to analyze the evolutional trend of the water and soil resource carrying capacity in irrigation areas. The spatial analysis technique was used to obtain a raster map of the spatial and temporal characteristics of the influencing factors, and analyze the evolutionary characteristics of the water and soil resources carrying capacity by integrating multi-source data. The results showed that: (1) the evaluation clouds of water and soil resources carrying capacity in 2002, 2010, and 2018 were (0.5034, 0.0236, 0.0071), (0.5586, 00218, 0.0062), and (0.5989, 0.0249, 0.0061), respectively. This showed that the carrying capacity of water and soil resources was transitioning from ‘critical bearing’ to ‘good bearing’, but the evolution rate was gradually decreasing; (2) from 2002 to 2018, the size of the ‘good bearing’ area increased by 8.38%, while the size of the ‘severe bearing’ area decreased by 6.4%; (3) the degree of dramatic evolution of the carrying capacity of water and soil resources is: continuous change > pre-change > post-change > continuous stable > repeated change; (4) the serious carrying capacity area shows a spatial pattern of decreasing in an arc from the town to the surrounding areas. The results showed that water and soil resource-carrying capacity of the irrigation area shows a healthy and continuous spatial and temporal evolution trend. HIGHLIGHTS Coupling SD, multilevel fuzzy theory and cloud model were used to assess the carrying capacity of water and soil resources.; Based on Arc GIS and ENVI we showed the spatial distribution characteristics of regional environmental conditions.; The carrying capacity of water and soil resources shows a healthy evolution trend, and the evolution rate slows down gradually.;

Abstract Background Acetaminophen is commonly recommended for the early analgesia of osteoarthritis. However, the molecular mechanism by which it acts remains unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of acetaminophen on inflammation and extracellular matrix degradation in human chondrocytes, and the possible molecular mechanisms involved in its effect. Methods The normal chondrocyte cell line C28/I2 was treated with interleukin-1β to mimic the inflammatory state. Acetaminophen and the methylation inhibitor (cycloleucine) were used to treat interleukin-1β-induced C28/I2 cells. The expression of RNA N6-methyladenosine -related proteins was detected by RT-qPCR and western blot. The total RNA N6-methyladenosine level was measured by dot blot analysis and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-8 and anti-tumor necrosis factor-α were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The extracellular matrix synthesis and degradation were examined by western blot. Results After interleukin-1β stimulated C28/I2 cells, the intracellular RNA N6-methyladenosine level increased, and the expression of regulatory proteins also changed, mainly including the increased expression of methyltransferase like 3 and the downregulated expression of AlkB family member 5. The use of cycloleucine inhibited interleukin-1β-induced inflammation and extracellular matrix degradation by inhibiting RNA N6-methyladenosine modification. In contrast, acetaminophen treatment counteracted interleukin-1β-induced changes in RNA N6-methyladenosine levels and regulatory protein expression. Furthermore, acetaminophen treatment of interleukin-1β-induced C28/I2 cells inhibited the secretion of interleukin-6, interleukin-8 and anti-tumor necrosis factor-α, down-regulated the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-13 and Collagen X, and up-regulated the expression of collagen II and aggrecan. In addition, AlkB family member 5 overexpression activated interleukin-1β-induced chondrocyte viability and suppressed inflammation and extracellular matrix degradation. Conclusion Acetaminophen affects inflammatory factors secretion and extracellular matrix synthesis of human chondrocytes by regulating RNA N6-methyladenosine level and N6-methyladenosine-related protein expression. Graphical abstract Stimulation of the normal chondrocyte cell line C28/I2 with the cytokine IL-1β (10 μM) mimics the inflammatory state in vitro. Acetaminophen (Ace, 50 μg/mL) changes the m6A related proteins expression and the total RNA m6A levels in IL-1β-treated chondrocyte cells. Furthermore, regulation of RNA m6A levels (by methylation inhibitor Cyc and/or Ace) affects IL-1β-induced inflammatory cytokines secretion and extracellular matrix synthesis in C28/I2 cells.

ObjectivesTo identify combined clinical, radiomic, and delta-radiomic features in metastatic gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas (GEAs) that may predict survival outcomes.MethodsA total of 166 patients with metastatic GEAs on palliative chemotherapy with baseline and treatment/follow-up (8–12 weeks) contrast-enhanced CT were retrospectively identified. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Three-dimensional whole-lesional radiomic analysis was performed on the treatment/follow-up scans. “Delta” radiomic features were calculated based on the change in radiomic parameters compared to the baseline. The univariable analysis (UVA) Cox proportional hazards model was used to select clinical variables predictive of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) (p-value

Afforestation is an important and effective way to curb wind-sand hazards in the Alxa Desert. However, over-afforestation makes soil drying occur frequently. The formation of a soil drying layer is seriously restricting the effectiveness of vegetation construction and regional ecological stability. To clarify the process of soil desiccation in Haloxylon ammodendron plantations and determine the suitable planting years, a typical H. ammodendron plantation in this area was selected as the research object, and the soil moisture variation characteristics of this sand-fixing vegetation region with vegetation age were analyzed. The analysis results on soil water supply, consumption, and balance showed that the soil water storage in 0–400 cm soil layer of H. ammodendron plantation varies significantly in different ages. The soil water storage in 0–11 years old was the largest, and the soil water supply was greater than the soil water consumption. The soil water storage in profile increased with the increase of precipitation, the soil water storage of H. ammodendron at 11–22 years old increased first and then decreased with precipitation, and the inflexion existed in 16.5 years old. The soil water consumption of H. ammodendron plantation at 22–46 years old was greater than that of soil water supplement, and the soil moisture appeared negative balance continuously. Therefore, to prevent further deterioration of soil moisture ecological environment in the H. ammodendron plantation and to promote the sustainable development of afforestation in desert areas, thinning measures are suggested when the growth period reaches 16.5 years. The research results could provide scientific basis for afforestation and soil dry layer regulation in the Alxa desert.

Anthocyanins are widespread water-soluble pigments in the plant kingdom. Anthocyanin accumulation is activated by the MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) protein complex. In Arabidopsis, the R2R3-MYB transcription factor PAP1 activates anthocyanin biosynthesis. While prior research primarily focused on seedlings, seeds received limited attention. This study explores PAP1’s genome-wide target genes in anthocyanin biosynthesis in seeds. Our findings confirm that PAP1 is a positive regulator of anthocyanin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis seeds. PAP1 significantly increased anthocyanin content in developing and mature seeds in Arabidopsis. Transcriptome analysis at 12 days after pollination reveals the upregulation of numerous genes involved in anthocyanin accumulation in 35S:PAP1 developing seeds. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and dual luciferase reporter assays demonstrate PAP1’s direct promotion of ten key genes and indirect upregulation of TT8, TTG1, and eight key genes during seed maturation, thus enhancing seed anthocyanin accumulation. These findings enhance our understanding of PAP1’s novel role in regulating anthocyanin accumulation in Arabidopsis seeds.

To explore the effects of different pressure pipeline layouts on pumping station pipeline vibration, this study establishes an ALGOR numerical model for pipeline flow considering fluid–structure interactions. A data acquisition and signal processing vibration test system is used to obtain vibration signals and verify simulation results including pipeline fluid velocity, fluid pressure, and transient stress. Based on the flow's vibration excitation characteristics, we consider structural vibration reduction technology and propose an optimized design scheme. As an example, we apply this approach to a pressure pipeline at the Ningxia Yanhuanding Pumping Station Project. Results show strong vibrations at the water inlet, the junction between the branch and main pipes, and the water outlet, with even stronger vibration at the inlet than at the outlet. In the optimized design scheme, adjusting the distance between the branch pipes only weakly reduces flow-generated pipeline vibration; increasing the pipe diameter and changing the main pipe's relative orientation show stronger effects. Vibration reduction is optimized for a main pipe dip angle of 2–5° relative to the branch pipes, simultaneously decreasing pumping station energy loss. These results provide a theoretical and practical basis for optimal design of pressure pipelines at high-lift pumping stations. HIGHLIGHT This paper established fluid-structure interaction-based water flow ALGOR numerical model of pressure pipeline in a pump station; meanwhile, DASP vibration test system is adopted to acquire the vibration signals to verify the simulation results, analyze the incentive characteristics of pressure pipeline flow formed on pipeline vibration and put forward an optimized design scheme.;

Afforestation as an effective measure for wind and sand control has achieved remarkable results in northern China, and has also greatly changed the land use and vegetation characteristics of the region. It is important to study the spatial and temporal dynamics of soil water content (SWC) in different afforestation years and its temporal stability to understand the dynamic characteristics of SWC during afforestation. In order to reveal the spatiotemporal dynamic characteristics of SWC in desert area Haloxylon ammodendron (HA)plantations, in this study, five restorative-aged HA plantations in desert areas were selected and their SWC was measured in stratified layers for the 0–400 cm soil profile; we also analyzed the spatiotemporal dynamics and temporal stability of the SWC. The results showed that the SWC of HA plantations decreased with the increase in planting age in the measurement period, and the SWC of deep layers increased by more than that of shallow layers with planting age. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients for SWC of 0–400 cm in both 5- and 11-year-old HA plantations reached above 0.8 and were highly significantly correlated; the temporal stability of SWC tends to increase as the depth of the soil layer deepens. In contrast, the temporal stability of SWC in deeper layers (200–400 cm) of 22-, 34- and 46-year-old stands showed a decreasing trend with depth. Based on the relative difference analysis, representative sampling points can be selected to monitor the regional average SWC, but for older HA plantations, the uncertainty factor of stand age should be considered in the regional moisture simulation. This study verified that it is feasible to simulate large-scale SWC in fewer observations for HA plantations younger than 11 years old, while large errors exist for older stands, especially for deeper soils. This will help soil moisture management in HA plantations in arid desert areas.

The water and soil environmental vulnerability in arid areas is mainly affected by vegetation, hydrology, terrain, and climate. To accurately evaluate the water and soil environmental vulnerability and its evolution in the Jingtaichuan Pumping Irrigation District in China, this paper, taking 1994, 2006, and 2018 as typical years, selects 13 index factors that directly or indirectly drive the water and soil environmental evolution in this area, and adopts the cloud theory and analytic hierarchy process to determine the weight of each index factor. Spatial analysis technique and supervised classification were used to obtain and standardize the spatial distribution raster maps of each index factor. The multi-source data fusion was performed according to the index weight to analyze the evolution characteristics of soil and water environmental vulnerability. The results showed that soil salinity, vegetation coverage, and land use type have a significant impact on the water and soil environmental vulnerability in this irrigation area, and most of the area is at mild risk. High risk mainly occurs in closed hydrological units in the eastern part of the irrigation area. From 1994 to 2018, the evolution process can be divided into two stages, namely the ‘environmental deterioration stage’ and the ‘environmental restoration stage’. The results showed that the water and soil environment of the irrigation area is developing in a healthy way. HIGHLIGHTS It fused spatial data with long series monitoring data to analyze the vulnerability of soil and water environment in typical dryland irrigation areas.; A hierarchical analysis method improved by introducing cloud theory determined the weights of each index factor.; Soil salinity, vegetation cover and land use type are the key factors affecting the vulnerability of soil and water environment in arid irrigation areas.;

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), as an important oil-producing crop, is widely distributed throughout the world, and its seeds are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (FAs). Previous studies have revealed that Arabidopsis thaliana ACETYL-CoA CARBOXYLASE (AtACCase) is vital for FA biosynthesis. However, the functions of L. usitatissimum AccD (LuAccD) on FA accumulation and seed germination remain unclear. In the present study, we cloned the LuAccD coding sequence from the flax cultivar ‘Longya 10’, identified conserved protein domains, and performed a phylogenetic analysis to elucidate its relationship with homologs from a range of plant species. Ectopic expression of LuAccD in A. thaliana wild-type background enhanced seed FA accumulation without altering seed morphological characteristics, including seed size, 1000-seed weight, and seed coat color. Consistently, the expression of key genes involved in FA biosynthesis was greatly up-regulated in the developing seeds of LuAccD overexpression lines. Additionally, we demonstrated that LuAccD acts as a positive regulator of salt and mannitol tolerance during seed germination in A. thaliana. These results provide important insights into the functions of LuAccD, which facilitates the oil quantity and abiotic stress tolerance of oil-producing crops through genetic manipulation.

Land desertification associated with climate change and human activities significantly impacts ecosystem functioning in semi-arid alpine mountains. However, accurately revealing the state of desertification risk and the drivers of its evolution is frequently difficult, especially in the semi-arid alpine mountains. A new theoretical framework that combined qualitative and quantitative concepts has been developed to enhance ecological risk assessment in semi-arid alpine mountains and reveal the causes of desertification. The PSR model, multi-layer hierarchical theory, hierarchical analysis, inverse cloud generating principles, field surveys, structured questionnaires, and remote sensing techniques are all combined in this method. Our results showed that the risk of desertification in the study area exhibited a fluctuating trend between 2000 and 2020, with a period of decrease, followed by an increase, and then a subsequent decrease. However, the risk status remained overall stable, remaining at a light desertification level during the entire period. Desertification risk is driven primarily by climate warming and humidification, which can cause the melting of ice/snow. Additionally, increased rainfall and freeze–thaw cycles can enhance soil erosion, further exacerbating the risk. Conversely, the implementation of environmental protection projects, such as the establishment of protected areas, efforts to restore forests and grasslands, and initiatives to conserve soil and water, has been effective in limiting the increase in desertification risk. These efforts serve as a counterforce to the negative impacts of climate change and human activity, highlighting the beneficial effects of human intervention in preventing desertification. High-altitude, high-topographic relief places have considerable desertification risk, mainly in the alpine desert. Due to geography, grazing, rodent and pest infestation, and wildlife, there is still a risk of desertification expanding in low elevation areas. There will be a greater urgency in the future to enhance the management of anthropogenic activities in the local environment in order to handle the growing threat of desertification caused by climate change. This study combined the interactions of the natural environment and human activities, filled a research gap in assessing desertification risk, and revealed its driving mechanisms, as well as provided a theoretical foundation for improving the integrity and sustainability of ecosystems in semi-arid alpine regions and elsewhere.

Abstract Background This study is aimed to (1) investigate the influence of sagittal and vertical patterns on mandibular cross-sectional morphology and to (2) provide visualized mandibular cross-sectional morphology in different groups with General Procrustes Analysis (GPA), canonical variance analysis (CVA) and discriminant function analysis (DFA). Methods 324 cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images were collected to analyze mandibular cross-sectional morphology and were categorized into 12 groups according to sagittal and vertical pattern and gender. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the difference among the groups. Thirty equidistant points were marked along the contour of mandibular cross-section and GPA, CVA and DFA were applied. Results (1) Mandibular height in hyperdivergent groups was significantly higher than that in normodivergent and hypodivergent groups (P 0.05). (3) Class II hyperdivergent group showed narrowest lower third width in the molar region, with the mean value of 12.03 mm in females and 11.98 mm in males. (4) For males and females, the ratio between height and lower third width at symphysis was significantly higher in Class II hyperdivergent group than that in Class I hyperdivergent group (P

ObjectiveThe main objective of this study was to review the clinicopathologic characteristics and outcome of patients with oncocytic papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and oncocytic poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (PDTC). The secondary objective was to evaluate the prevalence and outcomes of RAI use in this population.MethodsPatients with oncocytic PTC and PDTC who were treated at a quaternary cancer centre between 2002 and 2017 were retrospectively identified from an institutional database. All patients had an expert pathology review to ensure consistent reporting and definition. The cumulative incidence function was used to analyse locoregional failure (LRF) and distant metastasis (DM) rates. Univariable analysis (UVA) was used to assess clinical predictors of outcome.ResultsIn total, 263 patients were included (PTC [n=218], PDTC [n=45]) with a median follow up of 4.4 years (range: 0 = 26.7 years). Patients with oncocytic PTC had a 5/10-year incidence of LRF and DM, respectively, of 2.7%/5.6% and 3.4%/4.5%. On UVA, there was an increased risk of DM in PTC tumors with widely invasive growth (HR 17.1; p

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is an important oil crop and a major source of tocopherols, also known as vitamin E, in human nutrition. Enhancing the quality and composition of fatty acids (FAs) and tocopherols in seeds has long been a target for rapeseed breeding. The gene γ-Tocopherol methyltransferase (γ-TMT) encodes an enzyme catalysing the conversion of γ-tocopherol to α-tocopherol, which has the highest biological activity. However, the genetic basis of γ-TMT in B. napus seeds remains unclear. In the present study, BnaC02.TMT.a, one paralogue of Brassica napus γ-TMT, was isolated from the B. napus cultivar “Zhongshuang11” by nested PCR, and two homozygous transgenic overexpression lines were further characterised. Our results demonstrated that the overexpression of BnaC02.TMT.a mediated an increase in the α- and total tocopherol content in transgenic B. napus seeds. Interestingly, the FA composition was also altered in the transgenic plants; a reduction in the levels of oleic acid and an increase in the levels of linoleic acid and linolenic acid were observed. Consistently, BnaC02.TMT.a promoted the expression of BnFAD2 and BnFAD3, which are involved in the biosynthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids during seed development. In addition, BnaC02.TMT.a enhanced the tolerance to salt stress by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) during seed germination in B. napus. Our results suggest that BnaC02.TMT.a could affect the tocopherol content and FA composition and play a positive role in regulating the rapeseed response to salt stress by modulating the ROS scavenging system. This study broadens our understanding of the function of the Bnγ-TMT gene and provides a novel strategy for genetic engineering in rapeseed breeding.

A total of six conjugated polymers, namely PDBT-Th, PDBT-Th:Th, PDBT-2Th, PDBT-Th:2Th, PDBT-2Th:Th, and PDBT-2Th:2Th, consisting of dibenzothiophene, thiophene, and bithiophene were electrochemically synthesized. Their electrochemical and electrochromic properties were investigated in relation to the conjugation chain lengths of the thiophene units in the conjugated backbones. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed that longer conjugation lengths resulted in decreased HOMO-LUMO gaps in the polymers. The optical band gaps (Eg,opt) and electrochemical band gaps (Eg,cv) were decreased from PDBT-Th to PDBT-Th:Th, however, PDBT-Th:2Th, PDBT-2Th, PDBT-2Th:Th and PDBT-2Th:2Th displayed the similar band gaps. The conjugation length increments significantly improved the electrochemical stability of the conjugated polymers and exhibited reversible color changes due to the formation of polarons and bipolarons. The results suggest that the conjugated polymers prepared herein are promising candidates for fabricating flexible organic electrochromic devices.

Arabidopsis thaliana ENO2 (AtENO2) encodes two proteins AtENO2 (enolase) and AtMBP-1 (c-Myc binding protein 1-like). The loss of AtENO2 function causes the constitutive developmental defects which are correlated with reduced enolase activity, but not AtMBP-1 transcript abundance. However, the regulation mechanism of AtENO2 on the seed properties is still not clear. In this study, we found that the mutation of AtENO2 reduced the seed size and weight. The level of glucose in seed was significantly elevated but that of starch was decreased in AtENO2 mutants compared to WT plants. We also found that AtENO2 mutation reduced the content of cytokinin which resulted in smaller cotyledons. The RNA-seq data showed that there were 1892 differentially expressed genes and secondary metabolic pathways were significantly enriched. Instead of AtMBP-1, AtENO2 protein interacted with AtbZIP75 which may mediate the secondary metabolism. Therefore, ENO2 alters the size and weight of seeds which is not only regulated by the content of cytokinin and secondary metabolism, but may be affected by the interaction of ENO2 and bZIP57. These results are helpful to understand the novel function of AtENO2 which provide a foundation for further exploration of the key candidate genes for crop breeding.

In order to explore effect of structure on the temperature sensitivity of partially carbonized carbon fibers, different heat treatment temperatures (700, 750 and 800 °C) and heat treatment times (3 and 9 min) were used to prepare fibers with different structures. The electrical resistivities were monitored whilst the room temperature was increased from 30 to 100 °C, which was used to characterize the temperature sensitivity. The fibers showed negative temperature coefficients in the temperature range. Infrared spectra, an element analysis, a scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements were used to study the microstructure of the fibers. Through the analysis, the proportions of the graphite-like structure, graphitization degree and size of the graphite-like structure crystallite influenced the temperature sensitivity. The main electron transfer method used for the fibers was variable-range hopping. This indicated that the fibers had a potential application of preparing thermistors in polymer composites.

Anthocyanins contribute to the quality and flavour of fruits. They are produced through the phenylpropanoid pathway, which is regulated by specific key genes that have been identified in many species. The dominant anthocyanin forms are reversibly transformed at different pH states, thus forming different colours in aqueous solutions. In plants, anthocyanins are controlled by specific factors of the biosynthetic pathway: light, temperature, phytohormones and transcription factors. Although great progress in research on anthocyanin structures and the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis has been made, the molecular regulatory mechanisms of anthocyanin biosynthesis in different plants remain less clear. In addition, the co-regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis is poorly understood. In this review, we summarise previous findings on anthocyanin biosynthesis, including the biochemical and biological features of anthocyanins; differences in anthocyanin biosynthesis among fruit species, i.e., apple, red pear, and the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana; and the developmental and environmental regulation of anthocyanin accumulation. This review reveals the molecular mechanisms underlying anthocyanin biosynthesis in different plant species and provides valuable information for the development of anthocyanin-rich red-skinned and red-fleshed apple and pear varieties.

Plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) transport water, CO2 and small neutral solutes across the plasma membranes. In this study, we used the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated protein 9 system (CRISPR/Cas9) to mutate PIP1;4 and PIP1;5 in a pip1;1,2,3 triple mutant to generate a pip1;1,2,3,4,5 (pip1s−) quintuple mutant. Compared to the wild-type (WT) plant, the pip1s− mutants had smaller sized rosette leaves and flowers, less rosette leaf number, more undeveloped siliques, shorter silique and less seeds. The pollen germination rate of the pip1s− mutant was significantly lower than that of the WT and the outer wall of the pip1s− mutant’s pollen was deformed. The transcriptomic analysis showed significant alterations in the expression of many key genes and transcription factors (TFs) in the pip1s− mutant which involved in the development of leaf, flower and pollen, suggesting that the mutant of PIP1s not only directly affects hydraulics and carbon fixation, but also regulates the expression of related genes to affect plant growth and development.

Alternatively translated from the ENO gene and expressed in an array of vertebrate and plant tissues, c-Myc binding protein 1 (MBP-1) participates in the regulation of growth in organisms, their development and their environmental responses. As a transcriptional repressor of multiple proto-oncogenes, vertebrate MBP-1 interacts with other cellular factors to attenuate the proliferation and metastasis of lung, breast, esophageal, gastric, bone, prostrate, colorectal, and cervical cancer cells. Due to its tumor-suppressive property, MBP-1 and its downstream targets have been investigated as potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for various cancers. In plants, MBP-1 plays an integral role in regulating growth and development, fertility and abiotic stress responses. A better understanding of the functions and regulatory factors of MBP-1 in plants may advance current efforts to maximize plant resistance against drought, high salinity, low temperature, and oxidative stress, thus optimizing land use and crop yields. In this review article, we summarize the research advances in biological functions and mechanistic pathways underlying MBP-1, describe our current knowledge of the ENO product and propose future research directions on vertebrate health as well as plant growth, development and abiotic stress responses.

Flower development and plant architecture determine the efficiency of mechanized harvest and seed yield in Brassica napus. Although TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (AtTFL1) is a regulator of flower development in Arabidopsis thaliana, the function and regulatory mechanism of TFL1 orthologs in B. napus remains unclear. Six BnTFL1 paralogs in the genome of the B. napus inbred line ‘K407’ showed steadily increasing expression during vernalization. CRISPR/Cas-induced mutagenesis of up to four BnTFL1 paralogs resulted in early flowering and alteration of plant architecture, whereas seed yield was not altered in BnTFL1 single, double, or triple mutants. Six BnTFL1 paralogs, but not BnaA02.TFL1, showed an additive and conserved effect on regulating flowering time, total and terminal flower number, and plant architecture. BnaA10.TFL1 regulates flower development by interacting with BnaA08.FD through the protein BnaA05.GF14nu, resulting in the transcriptional repression of floral integrator and floral meristem identity genes. These findings about the regulatory network controlling flower development and plant architecture present a promising route to modifying these traits in B. napus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To identify combined clinical, radiomic, and delta-radiomic features in metastatic gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas (GEAs) that may predict survival outcomes. Methods: A total of 166 patients with metastatic GEAs on palliative chemotherapy with baseline and treatment/follow-up (8-12 weeks) contrast-enhanced CT were retrospectively identified. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Threedimensional whole-lesional radiomic analysis was performed on the treatment/follow-up scans. "Delta" radiomic features were calculated based on the change in radiomic parameters compared to the baseline. The univariable analysis (UVA) Cox proportional hazards model was used to select clinical variables predictive of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) (p-value <0.05). The radiomic and "delta" features were then assessed in a multivariable analysis (MVA) Cox model in combination with clinical features identified on UVA. Features with a p-value <0.01 in the MVA models were selected to assess their pairwise correlation. Only non-highly correlated features (Pearson's correlation coefficient <0.7) were included in the final model. Leave-one-out cross-validation method was used, and the 1-year area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated for PFS and OS. Results: Of the 166 patients (median age of 59.8 years), 114 (69%) were male, 139 (84%) were non-Asian, and 147 (89%) had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-1. The median PFS and OS on treatment were 3.6 months (95% CI 2.86, 4.63) and 9 months (95% CI 7.49, 11.04), respectively. On UVA, the number of chemotherapy cycles and number of lesions at the end of treatment were associated with both PFS and OS (p < 0.001). ECOG status was associated with OS (p = 0.0063), but not PFS (p = 0.054). Of the delta-radiomic features, delta conventional HUmin, delta graylevel zone length matrix (GLZLM) GLNU, and delta GLZLM LGZE were incorporated into the model for PFS, and delta shape compacity was incorporated in the model for OS. Of the treatment/follow-up radiomic features, shape compacity and neighborhood gray-level dependence matrix (NGLDM) contrast were used in both models. The combined 1-year AUC (Kaplan-Meier estimator) was 0.82 and 0.81 for PFS and OS, respectively. Conclusions: A combination of clinical, radiomics, and delta-radiomic features may predict PFS and OS in GEAs with reasonable accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]