Maize-soybean relay cropping increases soybean yield synergistically by extending the post-anthesis leaf stay-green period and accelerating grain filling

Relay cropping of Poaceae and Fabaceae promotes high yield and land-use efficiency by allowing a double harvest.However,it is difficult to increase yield synergistically because of the reduced photosynthetic abilities of legume leaves under the shade of graminoids.Leaf photosynthetic capacity in relay cropping systems is associated with ecological niche differentiation and photosynthetic compensation after restoration of normal light.We conducted a field experiment in southwest China in 2020–2021 to evaluate the effects of three cropping patterns:maize–soybean relay cropping(IMS),monoculture maize(MM),and monoculture soybean(SS),and N application levels:no N application(NN:0 kg N ha^(−1)),reduced N(RN:180 kg N ha^(−1)),and conventional N(CN:240 kg N ha^(−1)).Compared to monocropping,relay cropping increased the stay-green traits of maize and soybean by 13%and 89%,respectively.Relay cropping prolonged the leaf stay-green duration in the maize and soybean lag phase by almost 4 and 8 days,respectively.Relay cropping maize(IM)increased the leaf area index(LAI)by 79.4%to 88.5%under NN and 55.5%to 148%under RN.Relay cropping soybean(IS)increased the LAI from 115%to 437%at days 40 to 50 after anthesis.IM increased yield by 65.6%.IS increased yield by 9.7%.HI and system yield were at their highest values under RN.In the relay cropping system,reduced N application extended green leaf duration,increased photosynthesis inside the canopy at multiple levels,ultimately increases soybean yield synergistically.

Quantifying peripapillary vessel density and retinal nerve fibre layer in type 1 diabetic children without clinically detectable retinopathy using OCTA

AIM:To quantify changes in radial peripapillary capillary vessel density(ppVD)and the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer(pRNFL)in children with type 1 diabetes without clinical diabetic retinopathy by optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA),providing a basis for early retinopathy in children with type 1 diabetes.METHODS:This was a retrospective study.A total of 30 patients(3–14y)with type 1 diabetes without clinical diabetic retinopathy(NDR group)were included.A total of 30 age-matched healthy subjects were included as the normal control group(CON group).The HbA1c level in the last 3mo was measured once in the NDR group.The pRNFL thickness and ppVD were automatically measured,and the mean pRNFL and ppVD were calculated in the nasal,inferior,temporal,and superior quadrants.The changes in ppVD and pRNFL in the two groups were analyzed.RESULTS:Compared with CON group,the nasal and superior ppVDs decreased in the NDR group(all P<0.01).The thickness of the nasal pRNFL decreased significantly(P<0.01),while the inferior,temporal and superior pRNFLs slightly decreased but not significant in the NDR group(all P>0.05).Person and Spearman correlation analysis of ppVD and pRNFL thickness in each quadrant of the NDR group showed a positive correlation between nasal and superior(all P<0.01),while inferior and temporal had no significant correlation(all P>0.05).There was no significant correlation between the HbA1c level and ppVD and pRNFL in any quadrant(all P>0.05).There was no significant correlation between the course of diabetes mellitus and ppVD and pRNFL in any quadrant(all P>0.05).CONCLUSION:ppVD and pRNFL decrease in eyes of children with type 1 diabetes before clinically detectable retinopathy and OCTA is helpful for early monitoring.

Criteria for Beverloo's scaling law

Beverloo's scaling law can describe the flow rate of grains discharging from hoppers. In this paper, we show that the Beverloo's scaling law is valid for varying material parameters. The flow rates from a hopper with different hopper and orifice sizes(D, D_0) are studied by running large-scale simulations. When the hopper size is fixed, the numerical results show that Beverloo's law is valid even if the orifice diameter is very large and then the criteria for this law are discussed.To eliminate the effect of walls, it is found that the criteria can be suggested as D-D_0≥ 40 d or D/D_0≥ 2. Interestingly,it is found that there is still a scaling relation between the flow rate and orifice diameter if D/D_0 is fixed and less than 2.When the orifice diameter is close to the hopper size, the velocity field changes and the vertical velocities of grains above the free fall region are much larger. Then, the free fall arch assumption is invalid and Beverloo's law is inapplicable.

Consensus on potential biomarkers developed for use in clinical tests for schizophrenia

Background Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness affecting approximately 20 million individuals globally.Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the illness.If left undiagnosed and untreated,schizophrenia results in impaired social function,repeated hospital admissions,reduced quality of life and decreased life expectancy.Clinical diagnosis largely relies on subjective evidence,including self-reported experiences,and reported behavioural abnormalities followed by psychiatric evaluation.In addition,psychoses may occur along with other conditions,and the symptoms are often episodic and transient,posing a significant challenge to the precision of diagnosis.Therefore,objective,specific tests using biomarkers are urgently needed for differential diagnosis of schizophrenia in clinical practice.Aims We aimed to provide evidence-based and consensus-based recommendations,with a summary of laboratory measurements that could potentially be used as biomarkers for schizophrenia,and to discuss directions for future research.Methods We searched publications within the last 10 years with the following keywords:‘schizophrenia’,‘gene’,‘inflammation’,‘neurotransmitter’,‘protein marker’,‘gut microbiota’,‘pharmacogenomics’and‘biomarker’.A draft of the consensus was discussed and agreed on by all authors at a round table session.Results We summarised the characteristics of candidate diagnostic markers for schizophrenia,including genetic,inflammatory,neurotransmitter,peripheral protein,pharmacogenomic and gut microbiota markers.We also proposed a novel laboratory process for diagnosing schizophrenia in clinical practice based on the evidence summarised in this paper.Conclusions Further efforts are needed to identify schizophrenia-specific genetic and epigenetic markers for precise diagnosis,differential diagnosis and ethnicity-specific markers for the Chinese population.The development of novel laboratory techniques is making it possible to use these biomarkers clinically to diagnose disease.

Coordinated responses of leaf and nodule traits contribute to the accumulation of N in relay intercropped soybean

Maize(Zea mays L.)-soybean(Glycine max L.Merr.)relay intercropping provides a way to enhance land productivity.However,the late-planted soybean suffers from shading by the maize.After maize harvest,how the recovery growth influences the leaf and nodule traits remains unclear.A three-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of genotypes,i.e.,supernodulating(nts1007),Nandou 12(ND12),and Guixia 3(GX3),and crop configurations,i.e.,the interspecific row spacing of 45(I45),60(I60),75 cm(I75),and sole soybean(SS),on soybean recovery growth and N fixation.The results showed that intercropping reduced the soybean total leaf area(LA)by reducing both the leaf number(LN)and unit leaflet area(LUA),and it reduced the nodule dry weight(NW)by reducing both the nodule number(NN)and nodule diameter(ND)compared with the SS.The correlation and principal component analysis(PCA)indicated a co-variability of the leaf and nodule traits in response to the genotype and crop configuration interactions.During the recovery growth stages,the compensatory growth promoted soybean growth to reduce the gaps of leaf and nodule traits between intercropping and SS.The relative growth rates of ureide(RGR_U)and nitrogen(RGR_N)accumulation were higher in intercropping than in SS.Intercropping achieved more significant sucrose and starch contents compared with SS.ND12 and GX3 showed more robust compensatory growth than nts1007 in intercropping.Although the recovery growth of relay intercropping soybean improved biomass and nitrogen accumulation,ND12 gained a more significant partial land equivalent ratio(pLER)than GX3.The I60 treatment achieved more robust compensation effects on biomass and N accumulation than the other configurations.Meanwhile,I60 showed a higher nodule sucrose content and greater shoot ureide and N accumulation than SS.Finally,intercropping ND12 with maize using an interspecific row spacing of 60 cm was optimal for both yield advantage and N accumulation.

Highly ordered crystallization of α-FAPbl_(3) films via homogeneous seeds for efficient perovskite solar cells

Formamidine lead triiodide(FAPbI_(3))perovskites have become the most promising photovoltaic materials for perovskite solar cells with record power conversion efficiency(PCE).However,random nucleation,phase transition,and lattice defects are still the key challenges limiting the quality of FAPbI_(3) films.Previous studies show that the introduction or adding of seeds in the precursor is effective to promote the nucleation and crystallization of perovskite films.Nevertheless,the seed-assisted approach focuses on heterogeneous seeds or hetero-composites,which inevitably induce a lattice-mismatch,the genera-tion of strain or defects,and the phase segregation in the perovskite films.Herein,we first demonstrate that high-quality perovskite films are controllably prepared using α-and δ-phases mixed FAPbI_(3) micro-crystal as the homogeneous seeds with the one-step antisolvent method.The partially dissolved seeds with suitable sizes improve the crystallinity of the perovskite flm with preferable orientation,improved carrier lifetime,and increased carrier mobility.More importantly,the α-phase-containing seeds promote the formation of α-phase FAPbI_(3) films,leading to the reduction of residual lattice strain and the suppres-sion of I-ion migration.Besides,the adding of dimethyl 2,6-pyridine dicarboxylate(DPD)into the pre-cursor further suppresses the generation of defects,contributing to the PCE of devices prepared in air ambient being significantly improved to 23.75%,among the highest PCEs for fully air-processed FAPbI_(3) solar cells.The unpackaged target devices possess a high stability,maintaining 80%of the initial PCE under simulated solar illumination exceeding 800 h.

儿童多发性睑板腺囊肿的相关危险因素分析

目的:分析儿童多发性睑板腺囊肿的相关危险因素。方法:选取2013-02/2015-02在我科就诊的资料完整的300例600眼多发性睑板腺囊肿患儿(试验组)和236例472眼条件类同的眼科体检正常儿童(对照组)进行病例对照研究,采用Logistic回归方法进行多因素分析,筛出主要危险因素。结果:经Logistic回归分析,发现睑板腺功能、泪液分泌减少、家族史、便秘、偏食、居住环境与儿童多发性睑板腺囊肿的发生显著相关。而视力、血液胆固醇、微量元素、细菌感染与疾病无显著相关。结论:睑板腺功能、泪液分泌减少、家族史、便秘、偏食、居住环境等为儿童多发性睑板腺囊肿的主要危险因素。应重视并针对其危险因素加以预防。

Effect of calcium content on inclusions during the ladle furnace refining process of AISI 321 stainless steel

The effect of three heat processes with different calcium contents on the evolution of inclusions during the ladle furnace refining process of AISI 321 stainless steel was investigated.The size,morphology,and composition of the inclusions were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.After the addition of aluminum and titanium,the primary oxide in the AISI 321 stainless steel was an AbOs—MgO—TiOx complex oxide,in which the mass ratio of AbOs/MgO was highly consistent with spinel(MgO・AbO3).After calcium treatment,the calcium content in the oxide increased significantly.Thermodynamic calculations show that when the Ti content was 0.2wt%,the Al and Ca contents were less than 0.10wt%and 0.0005wt%,respectively,which was beneficial for the formation of liquid inclusions in molten steel.Moreover,the modification mechanism of calcium on TiN-wrapped oxides in combination with temperature changes was discussed.

Expression and location of Smad2,4 mRNAs during and after liver fibrogenesis of rats

AIM： To investigate the location alteration of Smad2 and Smad4 mRNAs in the liver during and after fibrogenesis in rats. METHODS： Eighty male Wistar rats weighing approximately 200 g each were used. The rat models of experimental hepatic fibrosis were established by injection with carbon tetrachloride （CCh）, normal rats and rats were injected with olive oil and served as control groups. In situ hybridization（ISH） was used to detect the Smad2 and Smad4 mRNA in liver. RESULTS： In situ hybridization showed Smad2 and Smad4 mRNA expressions in the cytoplasm of hepatic stellate cells （HSC）, fibroblasts and myofibroblasts around the central vein and hepatic sinus during and after fibrogenesis. Expression of Smad2, 4 mRNA was higher than that in normal and control rats. CONCLUSION： In the process of and after hepatic fibrosis formation, HSC, fibroblasts and myofibroblasts are the major cells that express Smad2 and Smad4. The more serious the hepatic fibrosis is in the injured liver, the higher the level of Smad2 and Smad4 gene expression is during and after fibrogenesis respectively.

Deep learning driven colorectal lesion detection in gastrointestinal endoscopic and pathological imaging

Colorectal cancer has the second highest incidence of malignant tumors and is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in China.Early diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer will lead to an improvement in the 5-year survival rate,which will reduce medical costs.The current diagnostic methods for early colorectal cancer include excreta,blood,endoscopy,and computer-aided endoscopy.In this paper,research on image analysis and prediction of colorectal cancer lesions based on deep learning is reviewed with the goal of providing a reference for the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer lesions by combining computer technology,3D modeling,5G remote technology,endoscopic robot technology,and surgical navigation technology.The findings will supplement the research and provide insights to improve the cure rate and reduce the mortality of colorectal cancer.

A numerical study of dynamics in thin hopper flow and granular jet

The dynamics of granular material discharging from a cuboid but thin hopper,including the hopper flow and granular jet,are investigated via discrete element method(DEM)simulations.The slot width is varied to study its influence on the flow.It is found the flow in the cuboid hopper has similarity with the flow in two-dimensional(2D)hopper.When the slot width is large,the flowrate is higher than the predicted value from Beverloo’s law and the velocity distribution is not Gaussian-like.For granular jet,there is a transition with varying slot width.For large slot width,there is a dense core in the jet and the variations of velocities and density are relatively small.Finally,the availability of continuum model is assessed and the results show that the performance with large slot width is better than that with small slot width.

Influence of wall friction on granular column

Granular packings under gravity in frictional and frictionless silos were simulated and the influence of the wall friction on the normal force distribution was investigated. Although there is an obvious Janssen effect in frictional silos, only a slight influence on the geometry of packing was found. The law of normal force distribution is different for frictional and frictionless walls, which is related to the pressure profile. A modified formula with consideration of the pressure profile was well fitted to the simulation results.

Asymptotic solutions for the asymmetric flow in a channel with porous retractable walls under a transverse magnetic field

The self-similarity solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations are constructed for an incompressible laminar flow through a uniformly porous channel with retractable walls under a transverse magnetic field. The flow is driven by the expanding or contracting walls with different permeability. The velocities of the asymmetric flow at the upper and lower walls are different in not only the magnitude but also the direction. The asymptotic solutions are well constructed with the method of boundary layer correction in two cases with large Reynolds numbers, i.e., both walls of the channel are with suction, and one of the walls is with injection while the other one is with suction. For small Reynolds number cases, the double perturbation method is used to construct the asymptotic solution. All the asymptotic results are finally verified by numerical results.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Genetic Diversity and Relationships of 13 Sweet Sorghum Varieties as Energy Sources

To investigate the genetic diversity and relationships among the sweet sorghum varieties as energy sources currently bred in China, 13 sweet sorghum varieties were selected for comprehensive analysis through observations of 31 biological traits and examinations of RAPD and SSR molecular markers. The numerical analysis showed that the differences in biological traits existed among 13 varieties, and the genetic distance (DIST) ranged from 0.787 to 2.221, and the two varieties from Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang were distinctly separated from all other varieties. A total of 22 polymorphism primers were obtained from the screening using RAPD marker analysis. The polymorphism rate was 58.33%, and the genetic similarity (GS) coefficients among the studied cultivars ranged from 0.694 to 0.896. Cluster analysis results indicated that the three varieties from Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Heilongjiang exhibited significant genetic differences from the other varieties. SSR marker analysis using 31 selected pairs of polymorphic primers showed that the polymorphism rate of amplified fragments was 78.64%, and GS coefficients among the tested cultivars were 0.534 to 0.971. Cluster analysis showed that variety No. 12 from Xinjiang and variety No. 7 from Inner Mongolia clustered into one group, and variety No. 6 from Heilongjiang was in a single group. The other ten varieties were grouped into another separate cluster. The results based on combined data displayed a similar trend with results from the three individual data analyses, but could more comprehensively and objectively reflect the fundamental genetic differences among these varieties. In summary, certain genetic differences exist among the varieties tested from different regions or different breeding institutions. However, varieties from the same region, especially those from the same breeding institution, exhibited small genetic variations and high genetic similarities. At present, more attention should be paid to discovery and innovation in the breeding of sweet sorghum varieties.

Lyn prevents aberrant inflammatory responses to Pseudomonas infection in mammalian systems by repressing a SHIP-1-associated signaling cluster

The pleiotropic Src kinase Lyn has critical roles in host defense in alveolar macrophages against bacterial infection,but the underlying mechanism for Lyn-mediated inflammatory response remains largely elusive.Using mouse Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection models,we observed that Lyn^(−/−)mice manifest severe lung injury and enhanced inflammatory responses,compared with wild-type littermates.We demonstrate that Lyn exerts this immune function through interaction with IL-6 receptor and cytoskeletal protein Ezrin via its SH2 and SH3 domains.Depletion of Lyn results in excessive STAT3 activation,and enhanced the Src homology 2-containing inositol-5-phopsphatase 1(SHIP-1)expression.Deletion of SHIP-1 in Lyn^(−/−)mice(double knockout)promotes mouse survival and reduces inflammatory responses during P.aeruginosa infection,revealing the rescue of the deadly infectious phenotype in Lyn deficiency.Mechanistically,loss of SHIP-1 reduces NF-κB-dependent cytokine production and dampens MAP kinase activation through a TLR4-independent PI3K/Akt pathway.These findings reveal Lyn as a regulator for host immune response against P.aeruginosa infection through SHIP-1 and IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway in alveolar macrophages.

Applications and challenges of CRISPR-Cas gene-editing to disease treatment in clinics

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)-associated systems(Cas)are efficient tools for targeting specific genes for laboratory research,agricultural engineering,biotechnology,and human disease treatment.Cas9,by far the most extensively used gene-editing nuclease,has shown great promise for the treatment of hereditary diseases,viral infection,cancers,and so on.Recent reports have revealed that some other types of CRISPR-Cas systems may also have surprising potential to join the fray as gene-editing tools for various applications.Despite the rapid progress in basic research and clinical tests,some underlying problems present continuous,significant challenges,such as editing efficiency,relative difficulty in delivery,off-target effects,immunogenicity,etc.This article summarizes the applications of CRISPR-Cas from bench to bedside and highlights the current obstacles that may limit the usage of CRISPR-Cas systems as gene-editing toolkits in precision medicine and offer some viewpoints that may help to tackle these challenges and facilitate technical development.CRISPR-Cas systems,as a powerful gene-editing approach,will offer great hopes in clinical treatments for many individuals with currently incurable diseases.

A Posteriori Error Estimate and Adaptive Mesh Refinement Algorithm for Atomistic/Continuum Coupling with Finite Range Interactions in Two Dimensions

In this paper,we develop the residual based a posteriori error estimates and the corresponding adaptive mesh refinement algorithm for atomistic/continuum(a/c)coupling with finite range interactions in two dimensions.We have systematically derived a new explicitly computable stress tensor formula for finite range in-teractions.In particular,we use the geometric reconstruction based consistent atomistic/continuum(GRAC)coupling scheme,which is quasi-optimal if the continuum model is discretized by P1 finite elements.The numerical results of the adaptive mesh refinement algorithm is consistent with the quasi-optimal a priori error estimates.

Numerical Simulation for Moving Contact Line with Continuous Finite Element Schemes

In this paper,we compute a phase field(diffuse interface)model of CahnHilliard type for moving contact line problems governing the motion of isothermal multiphase incompressible fluids.The generalized Navier boundary condition proposed by Qian et al.[1]is adopted here.We discretize model equations using a continuous finite element method in space and a modified midpoint scheme in time.We apply a penalty formulation to the continuity equation which may increase the stability in the pressure variable.Two kinds of immiscible fluids in a pipe and droplet displacement with a moving contact line under the effect of pressure driven shear flow are studied using a relatively coarse grid.We also derive the discrete energy law for the droplet displacement case,which is slightly different due to the boundary conditions.The accuracy and stability of the scheme are validated by examples,results and estimate order.

Targeted DNA N^(6)-methyladenine editing by dCas9 fused to METTL4 in the lepidopteran model insect Bombyx mori

Dear Editor,N^(6)-Methyladenine(6mA)DNA modification is an important epigenetic mechanism with roles in regulating gene expression,nucleosome positioning,DNA damage repair,and cell cycle progression(Heyn&Esteller,2015;Luo et al.,2015;Boulias&Greer,2022).Despite progress in understanding the biological functions of 6mA,the contribution of individual 6mA installations on site-specific target genes is largely unknown,and therefore deciphering the molecular mechanism of 6mA in target gene expression has been difficult.

Error Analysis of the Nonconforming P1 Finite Element Method to the Sequential Regularization Formulation for Unsteady Navier-Stokes Equations

In this paper we investigate the nonconforming P_(1) finite element ap-proximation to the sequential regularization method for unsteady Navier-Stokes equations.We provide error estimates for a full discretization scheme.Typi-cally,conforming P_(1) finite element methods lead to error bounds that depend inversely on the penalty parameter ∈.We obtain an ∈-uniform error bound by utilizing the nonconforming P_(1) finite element method in this paper.Numerical examples are given to verify theoretical results.