A Blind Batch Encryption and Public Ledger-Based Protocol for Sharing Sensitive Data

For the goals of security and privacy preservation,we propose a blind batch encryption-and public ledger-based data sharing protocol that allows the integrity of sensitive data to be audited by a public ledger and allows privacy information to be preserved.Data owners can tightly manage their data with efficient revocation and only grant one-time adaptive access for the fulfillment of the requester.We prove that our protocol is semanticallly secure,blind,and secure against oblivious requesters and malicious file keepers.We also provide security analysis in the context of four typical attacks.

Step-over of strike-slip faults and overpressure fluid favor occurrence of foreshocks:Insights from the 1975 Haicheng fore-main-aftershock sequence,China

This study analyzed and summarized in detail the spatial and temporal distributions of earthquakes,tidal responses,focal mechanisms,and stress field characteristics for the M 7.3 Haicheng earthquake sequence in February 1975.The foreshocks are related to the main fault and the conjugate faults surrounding the extension step-over in the middle.The initiation timing of the foreshock clusters and the original time of the mainshock were clearly modulated by the Earth's tidal force and coincided with the peak of dilational volumetric tidal strain.As a plausible and testable hypothesis,we proposed a fluid-driven foreshock model,by which all observed seismicity features can be more reasonably interpreted with respect to the results of existing models.Together with some other known examples,the widely existing step-over along strike-slip faults and associated conjugate faults,especially for extensional ones in the presence of deep fluids,favor the occurrence of short-term foreshocks.Although clustered seismicity with characteristics similar to those of the studied case is not a sufficient and necessary condition for large earthquakes to occur under similar tectonic conditions,it undoubtedly has a warning significance for the criticality of the main fault.Subsequent testing would require quantification of true/false positives/negatives.

Genetic and pathogenic characterization of new infectious bronchitis virus strains in the GVI-1 and GI-19 lineages isolated in central China

Avian infectious bronchitis(IB)is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by infectious bronchitis virus(IBV),which is prevalent in many countries worldwide and causes serious harm to the poultry industry.At present,many commercial IBV vaccines have been used for the prevention and control of IB;however,IB outbreaks occur frequently.In this study,two new strains of IBV,SX/2106 and SX/2204,were isolated from two flocks which were immunized with IBV H120 vaccine in central China.Phylogenetic and recombination analysis indicated that SX/2106,which was clustered into the GI-19 lineage,may be derived from recombination events of the GI-19 and GI-7 strains and the LDT3-A vaccine.Genetic analysis showed that SX/2204 belongs to the GVI-1 lineage,which may have originated from the recombination of the GI-13 and GVI-1 strains and the H120 vaccine.The virus cross-neutralization test showed that the antigenicity of SX/2106 and SX/2204 was different from H120.Animal experiments found that both SX/2106 and SX/2204 could replicate effectively in the lungs and kidneys of chickens and cause disease and death,and H120 immunization could not provide effective protection against the two IBV isolates.It is noteworthy that the pathogenicity of SX/2204 has significantly increased compared to the GVI-1 strains isolated previously,with a mortality rate up to 60%.Considering the continuous mutation and recombination of the IBV genome to produce new variant strains,it is important to continuously monitor epidemic strains and develop new vaccines for the prevention and control of IBV epidemics.

Genetic and biological properties of H9N2 avian influenza viruses isolated in central China from2020 to 2022

The H9N2 subtype of avian influenza virus(AIV)is widely prevalent in poultry and wild birds globally,and has become the predominant subtype circulating in poultry in China.The H9N2 AIV can directly or indirectly(by serving as a"donor virus")infect humans,posing a significant threat to public health.Currently,there is a lack of in-depth research on the prevalence of H9N2 viruses in Shanxi Province,central China.In this study,we isolated 14 H9N2 AIVs from October 2020 to April 2022 in Shanxi Province,and genetic analysis revealed that these viruses belonged to 7 different genotypes.Our study on animals revealed that the H9N2 strains we identified displayed high transmission efficiency among chicken populations,and exhibited diverse replication abilities within these birds.These viruses could replicate efficiently in the lungs of mice,with one strain also demonstrating the capacity to reproduce in organs like the brain and kidneys.At the cellular level,the replication ability of different H9N2 strains was evaluated using plaque formation assays and multi-step growth curve assays,revealing significant differences in the replication and proliferation efficiency of the various H9N2 viruses at the cellular level.The antigenicity analysis suggested that these isolates could be classified into 2 separate antigenic clusters.Our research provides crucial data to help understand the prevalence and biological characteristics of H9N2 AIVs in central China.It also highlights the necessity of enhancing the surveillance of H9N2 AIVs.

催化法治理挥发性有机物污染的研究进展

挥发性有机物(VOCs)具有毒性、刺激性、致癌性和致畸作用,主要来源于石油化工、制药、制鞋业、电子制造和餐饮油烟等人类活动.VOCs和NO_(x)是生成细颗粒物(PM2.5)和臭氧(O3)等二次污染物的重要前体物,严重制约了社会的可持续发展,并对人类健康构成了严重威胁.因此,治理VOCs污染对于降低环境风险至关重要.鉴于实际工况条件复杂,多种VOCs(烷烃、芳香烃、卤代烃、醛酮和醇酯等)共存,它们的极性和浓度存在差异,在催化剂上的吸附、活化和转化过程不同,因此,对催化剂高效消除多组分VOCs的能力提出了挑战.目前,在众多净化VOCs的技术中,催化氧化法因其高效率、低能耗等优势在末端污染控制中越来越受到重视.本文主要介绍了近十年来通过热催化或光热催化消除污染物的代表性研究工作.首先,系统地总结了用于热催化消除单一VOC和典型多组分VOCs(例如,医药行业:甲苯和丙酮;家具涂料行业:甲苯和异己烷等)、协同消除VOCs和NO_(x),以及VOCs资源化利用(选择催化转化VOCs为高附加值产品)而设计和制备的各种具有独特形貌和结构的过渡金属氧化物纳米催化剂、贵金属颗粒纳米催化剂、贵金属单原子催化剂等,并探讨了其氧化还原性、酸性、氧物种、载体孔结构、贵金属分散度等对催化活性和稳定性的影响机制及优化策略.其次,鉴于化石燃料的日益减少,本文还概述了光热协同催化技术,该技术结合了光催化和热催化技术,通过太阳光的光热转换,能够在较低的温度下高效催化消除VOCs,并介绍了其效率和转化机制.此外,文中还深入分析了H_(2)O,CO_(2)和SO_(2)等气体对催化稳定性的影响机制.最后,考虑到我国当前大气污染防治面临更为复杂的复合污染问题等挑战,对未来发展趋势提出了展望:(1)利用活性空间和活性位点分离策略协同催化净化VOCs和NO_(x),从而实现催化氧化和还原反应的高效进行.(2)聚焦于大气污染物和温室气体的协同处理,探究CO_(2)和VOCs协同转化的路径和效率,为减污降碳和实现碳中和提供新思路.(3)设计合成新型串联催化剂用于安全转化含CVOCs的多组分污染物,以实现VOCs污染广谱性控制.(4)发展先进的原位表征技术(如原位电子显微镜、同位素示踪技术、原位拉曼光谱、原位X射线光电子能谱等)以实时检测催化剂的原子结构变化、吸附VOCs分子降解的中间体变化等,并结合理论计算确定最优反应路径,从而指导催化剂的设计与优化.(5)深入研究外场(例如,光能、电能、磁能)耦合热催化降解VOCs的技术,以期实现反应条件更温和、反应速率更高的催化过程.综上,本文综述了通过实验和理论计算手段揭示催化剂消除VOCs污染的性能与构效关系的研究进展,系统地呈现了治理VOCs污染研究的基本逻辑和框架体系,以期为后续开发高活性、高稳定性和高选择性的催化剂及其工业化应用提供借鉴.

Single crystal growth and characterization of 166-type magnetic kagome metals

Kagome magnets were predicted to be a good platform to investigate correlated topology band structure,Chern quantum phase,and geometrical frustration due to their unique lattice geometry.Here we reported single crystal growth of 166-type kagome magnetic materials,including HfMn_(6)Sn_(6),ZrMn_(6)Sn_(6),GdMn_(6)Sn_(6)and GdV_(6)Sn_(6),by using the flux method with Sn as the flux.Among them,HfMn_(6)Sn_(6)and ZrMn_(6)Sn_(6)single crystals were grown for the first time.X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that all four samples crystallize in HfFe6Ge6-type hexagonal structure with space group P6/mmm.All samples show metallic behavior from temperature dependence of resistivity measurements,and the dominant carrier is hole,except for GdV6Sn6 which is electron dominated.All samples have magnetic order with different transition temperatures,HfMn_(6)Sn_(6),ZrMn_(6)Sn_(6)and GdV_(6)Sn_(6)are antiferromagnetic with TN of 541 K,466 K and 4 K respectively,while GdMn_(6)Sn_(6)is ferrimagnetic with the critical temperature of about 470 K.This study will enrich the research platform of magnetic kagome materials and help explore the novel quantum phenomena in these interesting materials.The dataset of specific crystal structure parameters for HfMn_(6)Sn_(6)are available in Science Data Bank,with the link.

Magnetoresistance hysteresis in the superconducting state of kagome CsV_(3)Sb_(5)

The hysteresis of magnetoresistance observed in superconductors is of great interest due to its potential connectionwith unconventional superconductivity.In this study,we perform electrical transport measurements on kagome superconductorCsV_(3)Sb_(5)nanoflakes and uncover unusual hysteretic behavior of magnetoresistance in the superconducting state.This hysteresis can be induced by applying either a large DC or AC current at temperatures(T)well below the superconductingtransition temperature(T_(c)).As T approaches T_(c),similar weak hysteresis is also detected by applying a smallcurrent.Various scenarios are discussed,with particular focus on the effects of vortex pinning and the presence of timereversal-symmtery-breaking superconducting domains.Our findings support the latter,hinting at chiral superconductivityin kagome superconductors.

Melatonin mitigates cold-induced damage to pepper seedlings by promoting redox homeostasis and regulating antioxidant profiling

This study assessed the influence of exogenous ME in the mitigation of cold damage in pepper seedlings. Melatonin(ME) is a dynamic molecule that helps plants cope with stress in several ways. Cold stress(CS) is one of the most important environmental factors that restrict plant growth and yield. Pepper(Capsicum annuum L.) is a valuable commercial crop, highly sensitive to CS. Thus, identifying an efficient strategy to mitigate cold damage is critical for long-term pepper production. For this purpose, the roots of pepper seedlings were pretreated with ME(5 μmol · L^(-1)) and exposed to CS for 7 d. The results indicated that CS suppressed pepper growth, hampered photosynthetic capacity, and damaged root architecture in pepper plants. In contrast, the production of reactive oxygen species(ROS), malondialdehyde(MDA), electrolyte leakage(EL), proline, and soluble sugars were enhanced in plants under CS. ME(5 μmol · L^(-1)) pretreatment reduced the negative effects of CS by recovering plant growth, root traits, gas exchange elements, and pigment molecules compared to CS control treatment. Furthermore, ME application efficiently reduced oxidative stress markers [hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2)), superoxide ion(O_(2)^(·-)), EL, and MDA] while increasing proline and soluble sugar content in pepper leaves. ME application combined with CS further increased antioxidant enzymes and related gene expression. Collectively, our results confirmed the mitigating potential of ME supplementation for CS by maintaining pepper seedling growth,improving the photosynthesis apparatus, regulating pigments, and osmolyte content.

A simple and efficient CRISPR/Cas9 system permits ultra-multiplex genome editing in plants

The development and maturation of the CRISPR/Cas genome editing system provides a valuable tool for plant functional genomics and genetic improvement.Currently available genome-editing tools have a limited number of targets,restricting their application in genetic research.In this study,we developed a novel CRISPR/Cas9 plant ultra-multiplex genome editing system consisting of two template vectors,eight donor vectors,four destination vectors,and one primer-design software package.By combining the advantages of Golden Gate cloning to assemble multiple repetitive fragments and Gateway recombination to assemble large fragments and by changing the structure of the amplicons used to assemble sg RNA expression cassettes,the plant ultra-multiplex genome editing system can assemble a single binary vector targeting more than 40 genomic loci.A rice knockout vector containing 49 sg RNA expression cassettes was assembled and a high co-editing efficiency was observed.This plant ultra-multiplex genome editing system advances synthetic biology and plant genetic engineering.

Theory and practice for assessing structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains

Purpose–The safety and reliability of high-speed trains rely on the structural integrity of their components and the dynamic performance of the entire vehicle system.This paper aims to define and substantiate the assessment of the structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains in both theory and practice.The key principles and approacheswill be proposed,and their applications to high-speed trains in Chinawill be presented.Design/methodology/approach–First,the structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains are defined,and their relationship is introduced.Then,the principles for assessing the structural integrity of structural and dynamical components are presented and practical examples of gearboxes and dampers are provided.Finally,the principles and approaches for assessing the dynamical integrity of highspeed trains are presented and a novel operational assessment method is further presented.Findings–Vehicle system dynamics is the core of the proposed framework that provides the loads and vibrations on train components and the dynamic performance of the entire vehicle system.For assessing the structural integrity of structural components,an open-loop analysis considering both normal and abnormal vehicle conditions is needed.For assessing the structural integrity of dynamical components,a closed-loop analysis involving the influence of wear and degradation on vehicle system dynamics is needed.The analysis of vehicle system dynamics should follow the principles of complete objects,conditions and indices.Numerical,experimental and operational approaches should be combined to achieve effective assessments.Originality/value–The practical applications demonstrate that assessing the structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains can support better control of critical defects,better lifespan management of train components and better maintenance decision-making for high-speed trains.

Achieving a high-strength dissimilar joint of T91 heat-resistant steel to 316L stainless steel via friction stir welding

The reliable welding of T91 heat-resistant steel to 316L stainless steel is a considerable issue for ensuring the safety in service of ultrasupercritical power generation unit and nuclear fusion reactor,but the high-quality dissimilar joint of these two steels was difficult to be obtained by traditional fusion welding methods.Here we improved the structure-property synergy in a dissimilar joint of T91 steel to 316L steel via friction stir welding.A defect-free joint with a large bonding interface was produced using a small-sized tool under a relatively high welding speed.The bonding interface was involved in a mixing zone with both mechanical mixing and metallurgical bonding.No obvious material softening was detected in the joint except a negligible hardness decline of only HV~10 in the heat-affected zone of the T91 steel side due to the formation of ferrite phase.The welded joint exhibited an excellent ultimate tensile strength as high as that of the 316L parent metal and a greatly enhanced yield strength on account of the dependable bonding and material renovation in the weld zone.This work recommends a promising technique for producing high-strength weldments of dissimilar nuclear steels.

Effect of surfactant addition on leaching process of weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ores with magnesium sulfate

Surfactants were proposed to be added into magnesium sulfate solution to improve the leaching process of weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ores(WREOs).Effects of surfactants and their concentration on the seepage of leaching solutions and the leaching efficiency of rare earth(RE)and aluminum(Al)were investigated,and the leaching kinetics,the mass transfer process,the adhesion work and the adhesion work reduction factor were analyzed to reveal its strengthening leaching mechanism.The results show that cetyltrimethylammonium bromide(CTAB)has a better strengthening effect on the leaching process than dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide(DTAB),sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS),sodium oleate and oleic acid.In the presence of 0.04%CTAB in 0.2 mol/L solution,the permeability coefficient of WREOs increases from 0.945×10^(-5)to 1.640×10^(-5)cm·s^(-1),and the leaching efficiency of RE increases from 80%to 90%,confirming the promotion of surfactants on the leaching process of WREOs.Kinetic analysis shows that the leaching process conforms to the inner diffusion control model,and the leaching kinetics equations of RE and Al related to CTAB content are obtained.Mass transfer discussion shows a smaller height equivalent to theoretical plate(HETP)of RE and Al at CTAB content of 0.04%,suggesting the higher mass transfer efficiency here.According to the interfacial properties of leaching solutions,the calculated adhesion work and the adhesion work reduction factor further demonstrate the strengthening leaching effect of CTAB on the leaching process of WREOs.

Investigation on catalytic distillation for ethyl acetate production with different catalytic packing structures

The catalytic packing is the core component of the catalytic distillation,and how the catalyst exists in the packing has significant influence on the process.To investigate the effect of catalyst packings on the catalytic distillation process,the classical ethyl acetate reactive distillation system was utilized,and a supported catalytic packing(SCP)was prepared in comparison with the conventional tea-bag catalytic packing(TBP).Laboratory scale experiments showed that the ethyl acetate conversion of the SCP was superior to the TBP at a low catalyst loading.The effects of reaction kinetics,mass transfer performance and actual catalytic efficiency of the packings on this process were regarded as reasons and studied by combining the experiments and numerical simulation.Results suggested that the relatively immediate“in-situ separation”caused by the rapid reaction kinetics and better mass transfer performance of SCP may be a main reason for the difference of the conversion.

A trailer car dynamics model considering brake rigging of a high-speed train and its application

Brake systems are essential for the speed regulation or braking of a high-speed train.The vehicle dynamic performance under braking condition is complex and directly affects the reliability and running safety.To reveal the vehicle dynamic behaviour in braking process,a comprehensive trailer car dynamics model(TCDM)considering brake systems is established in this paper.The dynamic interactions between the brake system and the other connected components are achieved using the brake disc-pad frictions,brake suspension systems,and wheel-rail interactions.The force and motion transmission from the brake system to the wheel-rail interface is performed by the proposed TCDM excited by track irregularity.In addition,the validity of TCDM is verified by experimental test results.On this basis,the dynamic behaviour of the coupled system is simulated and discussed.The findings indicate that the braking force significantly affects vehicle dynamic behaviour including the wheel-rail forces,suspension forces,wheelset torsional vibration,etc.The dynamic interactions within the brake system are also significantly affected by the vehicle vibration due to track irregularity.Besides,the developed TCDM can be further employed to the dynamic assessment of such a coupled mechanical system under different braking conditions.

Identification and evaluation of fault-fracture reservoirs in buried hills of the Lower Paleozoic, Chengdao area, China

The Bohai Bay Basin is a Meso-Cenozoic rifted basin where the Paleozoic buried hills with great hydrocarbon potentials are well developed. The reservoir space types are complex and diverse due to tectonic activities, making fracture distribution highly heterogeneous. Reservoir identification and mapping is challenging due to their large burial depth and poor resolution of seismic data. An integration of well-logging, seismic data interpretation and core observation is applied to identify three structural unit types in the study area, that is, fault breccia zone, fault cataclastic zone, and fault massive rock zone. A comprehensive well-logging identification template and a comprehensive discriminant function M for the reservoir are established based on the well-logging response characteristics. A M value greater than 0.12 indicates a fault breccia zone, that between 0.04 and 0.12 marks a fault cataclastic zone, and that in the range from 0.02 to 0.04 represents a fault massive rock zone. A seismic prediction method with multi-parameter fusion is proposed in the study. The large-scale fractures are mapped by coherence-clutter parameters, while small fractures are predicted via waveform indication inversion. The spatial distribution of “fault-fracture reservoirs” is precisely mapped by frequency fusion technology. It is found that the fault breccia zones usually occur close to the fault planes, while the fault cataclastic zones are slightly away from the fault planes. The hydrocarbon abundance of the breccia zones is greater than that of the fault cataclastic and fault massive rock zones.

Possible link between long-term and short-term water injections and earthquakes in salt mine and shale gas site in Changning,south Sichuan Basin, China

Late at night on 17 June 2019,a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Shuanghe Town and its surrounding area in Changning County,Sichuan,China,becoming the largest earthquake recorded within the southern Sichuan Basin.A series of earthquakes with magnitudes up to 5.6 occurred during a short period after the mainshock,and we thus refer to these earthquakes as the Changning M6 earthquake sequence(or swarm).The mainshock was located very close to a salt mine,into which for^3 decades fresh water had been extensively injected through several wells at a depth of 2.7–3 km.It was also near(within^15 km)the epicenter of the 18 December 2018 M5.7 Xingwen earthquake,which is thought to have been induced by shale gas hydraulic fracturing(HF),prompting questions about the possible involvement of industrial activities in the M6 sequence.Following previous studies,this paper focuses on the relationship between injection and seismicity in the Shuanghe salt field and its adjacent Shangluo shale gas block.Except for a period of serious water loss after the start of cross-well injection in 2005–2006,the frequency of earthquakes shows a slightly increasing tendency.Overall,there is a good correlation between the event rate in the Shuanghe area and the loss of injected water.More than 400 M≥3 earthquakes,including 40 M≥4 and 5 M≥5 events,had been observed by the end of August 2019.Meanwhile,in the Shangluo area,seismicity has increased during drilling and HF operations(mostly in vertical wells)since about 2009,and dramatically since the end of 2014,coincident with the start of systematic HF in the area.The event rate shows a progressively increasing background with some fluctuations,paralleling the increase in HF operations.More than 700 M≥3 earthquakes,including 10 M≥4 and 3 M≥5 in spatially and temporally clustered seismic events,are correlated closely with active fracturing platforms.Well-resolved centroid moment tensor results for M≥4 earthquakes were shown to occur at very shallow depths around shale formations with active HF,in agreement with some of the clusters,which occurred within the coverage area of temporary or new permanent monitoring stations and thus have been precisely located.After the Xingwen M5.7 earthquake,seismic activity in the salt well area increased significantly.The Xingwen earthquake may have created a unidirectional rupture to the NNW,with an end point close to the NW-trending fault of the Shuanghe earthquake.Thus,a fault in the Changning anticline might have terminated the fault rupture of the Xingwen earthquake,possibly giving the Xingwen earthquake a role in promoting the Changning M6 event.

Melatonin lowers edema after spinal cord injury

Melatonin has been shown to diminish edema in rats. Melatonin can be used to treat spinal cord injury. This study presumed that melatonin could relieve spinal cord edema and examined how it might act. Our experiments found that melatonin （100 mg/kg, i.p.） could reduce the water content of the spinal cord, and suppress the expression of aquaporin-4 and glial fibrillary acidic protein after spinal cord injury. This suggests that the mechanism by which melatonin alleviates the damage to the spinal cord by edema might be related to the expression of aquaporin-4 and glial fibrillary acidic protein.

Analysis of Volatile Compounds and Identification of Characteristic Aroma Components of <i>Toona sinensis</i>(A. Juss.) Roem. Using GC-MS and GC-O

In this study, volatile compounds present in Toona sinensis (A. Juss.) Roem (TS) were investigated and their characteristic aromatic components were identified using Headspace Solid-phase Microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry (GC-O). The optimum conditions for extracting the volatiles from TS were achieved with the experimental parameters including the use of a 65 μm polydimethylsiloxane/divinyl benzene (PDMS/DVB) fibre, an extraction temperature of 40℃ and an extraction time of 30 min. Under these conditions, 56 volatile compounds were separated and 53 were identified by GC-MS. Among them, 21 sulfide compounds (42.146%) and 27 terpenes(55.984%) were found to be the major components. The sample was analyzed by GC-O and 26 elutes were sniffed and their sensory descriptions evaluated by an odor panelists. Analysis of the data indicated, two compounds cis and trans isomers of 2-Mercapto-3,4-dimethyl-2,3-dihydrothiophene were major contributors to the characteristic aroma of TS.

Genomic footprints of wheat evolution in China reflected by a Wheat660K SNP array

Common wheat(Triticum aestiuum L.)is one of the most important crops because it provides about 20%of the total calories for humans.T.aestiuum is an excellent modern species for studying concerted evolution of sub-genomes in polyploid species,because of its large chromosome size and three well-known genome donors.Establishment of common wheat genome reference sequence and development of high-density SNP chips provide an excellent foundation to answer questions of wheat evolution and breeding at the genomic level.By genotyping more than 600 accessions of common wheat and their diploid and tetraploid ancestors using a Wheat660 K SNP array,we found dramatic genome changes due to tetraploidization and hexaploidization,in contrast to weaker influences of domestication and breeding on them.Further,since common wheat was introduced in China in 1500 BCE,Chinese landraces formed two subgroups(T.aestiuum-L1 and T.aestiuum-L2)with considerably diverse geographic distributions and agronomic traits.T.aestiuum-L2,mainly distributed in central and east China is found to have more but smaller oval grains with early maturity characteristics.We found that variation and selection in intergenic regions of the A and B sub-genomes dominated this differentiation,in which chromosomes 7 A and 3 B took the leading roles due to the existence of putative genes related to defense responses and environmental adaption in the highly differentiated regions.Large haplotype blocks were detected on 3 B(232.6-398.3 Mb)and 7 A(211.7-272.9 Mb)in the landraces,forming two distinct haplotypes,respectively.We discovered that artificial crosses in breeding promoted recombination in the whole genome,however,this recombination and differentiation was highly asymmetric among the three sub-genomes in homoeologous regions.In addition,we found that the wide use of European and northern American cultivars in breeding at early era,led dramatic changes in Chinese wheat genome,whereas,the recent breeding functioned to optimize it.This study will provide the insight for reconsideration of wheat evolution and breeding,and a new strategy for parent selection in breeding.

CT Texture Analysis: A Potential Biomarker for Evaluating KRAS Mutational Status in Colorectal Cancer

Objective Texture analysis is deemed to reflect intratumor heterogeneity invisible to the naked eyes.The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of assessing the KRAS mutational status in colorectal cancer(CRC)patients using CT texture analysis.Methods This retrospective study included 92 patients who had histopathologically confirmed CRC and underwent preoperative contrast-enhanced CT examinations.The patients were assigned into a training cohort(n=51)and a validation cohort(n=41).We placed the region of interest in the tumour regions on the selected axial images using software of lexRad to extract a series of quantitative parameters based on the spatial scaling factors(SSFs),including mean,standard deviation(SD),entropy,mean of positive pixels(MPP),skewness,and kurtosis.The texture parameters and clinical characteristics(age,gender,tumour location,histopathology;tumour size,1 N,M stages)were compared between the mutated and wild-type KRAS patient groups in training cohort and validation cohort.Before building the multiple feature classifier,we calculated the correlations of the features using Pearsons correlation coefficient,and if any two features were significantly correlated,the one with lower AUC was removed.Ultimately,only the most discriminative isolated features were combined to train a supporting vector machine(SVM)classifier.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was processed for evaluating the diagnostic efficiency of texture parameters in differentiating CRC patients with mutated KRAS from those with wild-type KRAS.Results None of the clinical characteristics were significant different between CRC patients with wild-type KRAS and mutated KRAS in both cohorts.For predicting the expression of mutated KRAS in CRC patients,the perfect model which combined skewness on SSF 5 by unenhanced CT,entropy on SSF 2,skewness and kurtosis on SSF 0,and kurtosis and mean on SSF 3 by enhanced CT,showed a desirable AUC of 0.951(95%CI:0.895-1,P<0.001),with a sensitivity of 88.9%and a specificity of 91.7%,when the cut-off value was 0.46 in the training cohort;while in the validation cohort,the AUC value was 0.995(95%CI:0.982-1,P<0.001),the sensitivity was 100%,and the specificity was 93.7%when the cut-off value was 0.28.Conclusion It is feasible to evaluate the KRAS mutational status in CRC using CT texture analysis.