Genome wide investigation of Hsf gene family in Phoebe bournei:identification,evolution,and expression after abiotic stresses

Heat shock transcription factors(Hsfs)have important roles during plant growth and development and responses to abiotic stresses.The identification and func-tion of Hsf genes have been thoroughly studied in various herbaceous plant species,but not woody species,especially Phoebe bournei,an endangered,unique species in China.In this study,17 members of the Hsf gene family were identi-fied from P.bournei using bioinformatic methods.Phyloge-netic analysis indicated that PbHsf genes were grouped into three subfamilies:A,B,and C.Conserved motifs,three-dimensional structure,and physicochemical properties of the PbHsf proteins were also analyzed.The structure of the PbHsf genes varied in the number of exons and introns.Pre-diction of cis-acting elements in the promoter region indi-cated that PbHsf genes are likely involved in responses to plant hormones and stresses.A collinearity analysis dem-onstrated that expansions of the PbHsf gene family mainly take place via segmental duplication.The expression levels of PbHsf genes varied across different plant tissues.On the basis of the expression profiles of five representative PbHsf genes during heat,cold,salt,and drought stress,PbHsf pro-teins seem to have multiple functions depending on the type of abiotic stress.This systematic,genome-wide investigation of PbHsf genes in P.bournei and their expression patterns provides valuable insights and information for further func-tional dissection of Hsf proteins in this endangered,unique species.

Pattern changes and early risk warning of Spartina alterniflora invasion:a study of mangrove-dominated wetlands in northeastern Fujian,China

The exotic saltmarsh cordgrass,Spartina alterniflora(Loisel)Peterson&Saarela,is one of the important causes for the extensive destruction of mangroves in China due to its invasive nature.The species has rapidly spread wildly across coastal wetlands,challenging resource managers for control of its further spread.An investigation of S.alterniflora invasion and associated ecological risk is urgent in China's coastal wetlands.In this study,an ecological risk invasive index system was developed based on the Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response framework.Predictions were made of'warning degrees':zero warning and light,moderate,strong,and extreme warning,by developing a back propagation(BP)artificial neural network model for coastal wetlands in eastern Fujian Province.Our results suggest that S.alterniflora mainly has invaded Kandelia candel beaches and farmlands with clustered distributions.An early warning indicator system assessed the ecological risk of the invasion and showed a ladder-like distribution from high to low extending from the urban area in the central inland region with changes spread to adjacent areas.Areas of light warning and extreme warning accounted for43%and 7%,respectively,suggesting the BP neural network model is reliable prediction of the ecological risk of S.alterniflora invasion.The model predicts that distribution pattern of this invasive species will change little in the next 10 years.However,the invaded patches will become relatively more concentrated without warning predicted.We suggest that human factors such as land use activities may partially determine changes in warning degree.Our results emphasize that an early warning system for S.alterniflora invasion in China's eastern coastal wetlands is significant,and comprehensive control measures are needed,particularly for K.candel beach.

Spatio-temporal Evolution Characteristics and Driving Forces of Winter Urban Heat Island:A Case Study of Rapid Urbanization Area of Fuzhou City,China

Under the influence of anthropogenic and climate change,the problems caused by urban heat island(UHI)has become increasingly prominent.In order to promote urban sustainable development and improve the quality of human settlements,it is significant for exploring the evolution characteristics of urban thermal environment and analyzing its driving forces.Taking the Landsat series images as the basic data sources,the winter land surface temperature(LST)of the rapid urbanization area of Fuzhou City in China was quantitatively retrieved from 2001 to 2021.Combing comprehensively the standard deviation ellipse model,profile analysis and GeoDetector model,the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics and influencing factors of the winter urban thermal environment were systematically analyzed.The results showed that the winter LST presented an increasing trend in the study area during 2001–2021,and the winter LST of the central urban regions was significantly higher than the suburbs.There was a strong UHI effect from 2001 to 2021with an expansion trend from the central urban regions to the suburbs and coastal areas in space scale.The LST of green lands and wetlands are significantly lower than croplands,artificial surface and unvegetated lands.Vegetation and water bodies had a significant mitigation effect on UHI,especially in the micro-scale.The winter UHI had been jointly driven by the underlying surface and socio-economic factors in a nonlinear or two-factor interactive enhancement mode,and socio-economic factors had played a leading role.This research could provide data support and decision-making references for rationally planning urban layout and promoting sustainable urban development.

Spatiotemporal Evolution of Urban Heat Islands and Optimization of Spatial Network Construction in the Central Urban Area of Fuzhou City, China

Although accelerated urbanization has led to economic prosperity,it has also resulted in urban heat island effects.Therefore,identifying methods of using limited urban spaces to alleviate heat islands has become an urgent issue.In this study,we assessed the spatiotemporal evolution of urban heat islands within the central urban area of Fuzhou City,China from 2010 to 2019.This assessment was based on a morphological spatial pattern analysis(MSPA)model and an urban thermal environment spatial network constructed us-ing the minimum cumulative resistance(MCR)model.Optimization measures for the spatial network were proposed to provide a theor-etical basis for alleviating urban heat islands.The results show that the heat island area within the study area gradually increased while that of urban cold island area gradually decreased.The core area was the largest of the urban heat island patch landscape elements with a significant impact on other landscape elements,and represented an important factor underlying urban heat island network stability.The thermal environment network revealed a total of 197 thermal environment corridors and 93 heat island sources.These locations were then optimized according to the current land use,which maximized the potential of 1599.83 ha.Optimization based on current land use led to an increase in climate resilience,with effective measures showing reduction in thermal environment spatial network structure and function,contributing to the mitigation of urban heat island.These findings support the use of current land use patterns during urban heat island mitigation measure planning,thus providing an important reference basis for alleviating urban heat island effects.

Multi-environment BSA-seq using large F3 populations is able to achieve reliable QTL mapping with high power and resolution: An experimental demonstration in rice

Bulked-segregant analysis by deep sequencing(BSA-seq) is a widely used method for mapping QTL(quantitative trait loci) due to its simplicity, speed, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency. However, the ability of BSA-seq to detect QTL is often limited by inappropriate experimental designs, as evidenced by numerous practical studies. Most BSA-seq studies have utilized small to medium-sized populations, with F2populations being the most common choice. Nevertheless, theoretical studies have shown that using a large population with an appropriate pool size can significantly enhance the power and resolution of QTL detection in BSA-seq, with F_(3)populations offering notable advantages over F2populations. To provide an experimental demonstration, we tested the power of BSA-seq to identify QTL controlling days from sowing to heading(DTH) in a 7200-plant rice F_(3)population in two environments, with a pool size of approximately 500. Each experiment identified 34 QTL, an order of magnitude greater than reported in most BSA-seq experiments, of which 23 were detected in both experiments, with 17 of these located near41 previously reported QTL and eight cloned genes known to control DTH in rice. These results indicate that QTL mapping by BSA-seq in large F_(3)populations and multi-environment experiments can achieve high power, resolution, and reliability.

Nonlinear Registration of Brain Magnetic Resonance Images with Cross Constraints of Intensity and Structure

Many deep learning-based registration methods rely on a single-stream encoder-decoder network for computing deformation fields between 3D volumes.However,these methods often lack constraint information and overlook semantic consistency,limiting their performance.To address these issues,we present a novel approach for medical image registration called theDual-VoxelMorph,featuring a dual-channel cross-constraint network.This innovative network utilizes both intensity and segmentation images,which share identical semantic information and feature representations.Two encoder-decoder structures calculate deformation fields for intensity and segmentation images,as generated by the dual-channel cross-constraint network.This design facilitates bidirectional communication between grayscale and segmentation information,enabling the model to better learn the corresponding grayscale and segmentation details of the same anatomical structures.To ensure semantic and directional consistency,we introduce constraints and apply the cosine similarity function to enhance semantic consistency.Evaluation on four public datasets demonstrates superior performance compared to the baselinemethod,achieving Dice scores of 79.9%,64.5%,69.9%,and 63.5%for OASIS-1,OASIS-3,LPBA40,and ADNI,respectively.

The DNA damage repair complex MoMMS21-MoSMC5 is required for infection-related development and pathogenicity of Magnaporthe oryzae

The conserved DNA damage repair complex,MMS21-SMC5/6(Methyl methane sulfonate 21-Structural maintenance of chromosomes 5/6),has been extensively studied in yeast,animals,and plants.However,its role in phytopathogenic fungi,particularly in the highly destructive rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae,remains unknown.In this study,we functionally characterized the homologues of this complex,MoMMS21 and MoSMC5,in M.oryzae.We first demonstrated the importance of DNA damage repair in M.oryzae by showing that the DNA damage inducer phleomycin inhibited vegetative growth,infection-related development and pathogenicity in this fungus.Additionally,we discovered that MoMMS21 and MoSMC5 interacted in the nuclei,suggesting that they also function as a complex in M.oryzae.Gene deletion experiments revealed that both MoMMS21 and MoSMC5 are required for infection-related development and pathogenicity in M.oryzae,while only MoMMS21 deletion affected growth and sensitivity to phleomycin,indicating its specific involvement in DNA damage repair.Overall,our results provide insights into the roles of MoMMS21 and MoSMC5 in M.oryzae,highlighting their functions beyond DNA damage repair.

Capillary Property of Entangled Porous Metallic Wire materials and Its Application in Fluid Buffers:Theoretical Analysis and Experimental Study

Strong impact does serious harm to the military industries so it is necessary to choose reasonable cushioning material and design effective buffers to prevent the impact of equipment.Based on the capillary property entangled porous metallic wire materials(EPMWM),this paper designed a composite buffer which uses EPMWM and viscous fluid as cushioning materials under the low-speed impact of the recoil force device of weapon equipment(such as artillery,mortar,etc.).Combined with the capillary model,porosity,hydraulic diameter,maximum pore diameter and pore distribution were used to characterize the pore structure characteristics of EPMWM.The calculation model of the damping force of the composite buffer was established.The low-speed impact test of the composite buffer was conducted.The parameters of the buffer under low-speed impact were identified according to the model,and the nonlinear model of damping force was obtained.The test results show that the composite buffer with EPMWM and viscous fluid can absorb the impact energy from the recoil movement effectively,and provide a new method for the buffer design of weapon equipment(such as artillery,mortar,etc.).

Knock-in of exogenous sequences based on CRISPR/Cas9 targeting autosomal genes and sex chromosomes in the diamondback moth,Plutella xylostella

Genetic pest control strategies based on precise sex separation and only releasing sterile males can be accomplished by site-specific genome editing.In the current study,we showed that the mutation of single-allele Pxfl(2)d can significantly impair the normal mating behavior and testis development in male adults of the notorious cruciferous insect pest Plutella xylostella,in addition to its known functions in the ovarian development in female adults and egg hatching.Subsequent CRISPR/Cas9-based knock-in experiments revealed that site-specific integration of an exogenous green fluorescent protein(GFP)gene into autosomal Pxfl(2)d for labelling mutants could be achieved.However,this gene is not a suitable target for GFP insertion to establish a genetically stable knock-in strain because of the severe decline in reproductive capacity.We further screened for the W-chromosome-linked and Z-chromosome-linked regions to test the knock-in efficiency mediated by CRISPR/Cas9.The results verified that both types of chromosomes can be targeted for the site-specific insertion of exogenous sequences.We ultimately obtained a homozygous knock-in strain with the integration of both Cas9 and cyan fluorescent protein(CFP)expression cassettes on a Z-linked region in P.xylostella,which can also be used for early sex detection.By injecting the sgRNA targeting Pxfl(2)d alone into the eggs laid by female adults of the Z-Cas9-CFP strain,the gene editing efficiency reached 29.73%,confirming the success of expressing a functional Cas9 gene.Taken together,we demonstrated the feasibility of the knock-in of an exogenous gene to different genomic regions in P.xylostella,while the establishment of a heritable strain required the positioning of appropriate sites.This study provides an important working basis and technical support for further developing genetic strategies for insect pest control.

Disruption of non-classically secreted protein(MoMtp)compromised conidiation,stress homeostasis,and pathogenesis of Magnaporthe oryzae

Blast disease,caused by the hemibiotrophic ascomycete fungus,Magnaporthe oryzae,is a significant threat to sustainable rice production worldwide.Studies have shown that the blast fungus secretes vast arrays of functionally diverse proteins into the host cell for a successful disease progression.However,the final destinations of these effector proteins inside the host cell and their role in advancing fungal pathogenesis remain a mystery.Here,we reported that a putative mitochondrial targeting non-classically secreted protein(MoMtp)positively regulates conidiogenesis and appressorium maturation in M.oryzae.Moreover,MoM TP gene deletion mutant strains triggered a hypersensitive response when inoculated on rice leaves displaying that MoMtp is essential for the virulence of M.oryzae.In addition,cell wall and oxidative stress results indicated that MoMtp is likely involved in the maintenance of the structural integrity of the fungus cell.Our study also demonstrates an upregulation in the expression pattern of the MoMTP gene at all stages of infection,indicating its possible regulatory role in host invasion and the infectious development of M.oryzae.Furthermore,Agrobacterium infiltration and sheath inoculation confirmed that MoMtpGFP protein is predominantly localized in the host mitochondria of tobacco leaf and rice cells.Taken together,we conclude that MoMtp protein likely promotes the normal conidiation and pathogenesis of M.oryzae and might have a role in disturbing the proper functioning of the host mitochondria during pathogen invasion.

Insights into the enhancement of food flavor perception:strategies,mechanism and emulsion applications

The core drivers of the modern food industry are meeting consumer demand for tasty and healthy foods.The application of food flavor perception enhancement can help to achieve the goals of salt-and sugar-reduction,without compromising the sensory quality of the original food,and this has attracted increasing research attention.The analysis of bibliometric results from 2002 to 2022 reveals that present flavor perception enhancement strategies(changing ingredient formulations,adding salt/sugar substitutes,emulsion delivery systems)are mainly carry out based on sweetness,saltiness and umami.Emulsion systems is becoming a novel research foci and development trends of international food flavor perception-enhancement research.The structured design of food emulsions,by using interface engineering technology,can effectively control,or enhance the release of flavor substances.Thus,this review systematically summarizes strategies,the application of emulsion systems and the mechanisms of action of food flavor perception-enhancement technologies,based on odor-taste cross-modal interaction(OTCMI),to provide insights into the further structural design and application of emulsion systems in this field.

A growth-regulating factor 7(GRF7)-mediated gene regulatory network promotes leaf growth and expansion in sugarcane

Knowledge of the function of growth-regulating factors(GRFs)in sugarcane(Saccharum officinarum and S.spontaneum)growth and development could assist breeders in selecting desirable plant architectures.However,limited information about GRFs is available in Saccharum due to their polyploidy.In this study,22 GRFs were identified in the two species and their conserved domains,gene structures,chromosome location,and synteny were characterized.GRF7 expression varied among tissues and responded to diurnal rhythm.SsGRF7-YFP was localized preferentially in the nucleus and appears to act as a transcriptional cofactor.SsGRF7 positively regulated the size and length of rice leaves,possibly by regulating cell size and plant hormones.Of seven potential transcription factors binding to the SsGRF7 promoter in S.spontaneum,four showed positive expression patterns,and two showed negative expression patterns relative to SsGRF7.

Bird specimen number linked with species trait and climate niche breadth

Biological specimens are fundamental for taxonomy and flora/fauna research.More importantly,they also play crucial roles in recording environmental impacts on morphology and behavior,which is vital for biodiversity research and conservation.However,there are few systematic studies on the patterns and drivers of bird specimen number at regional scales.This study is the first attempt to examine the relationships between bird specimen number and species traits as well as climate niche breadth in China,aiming to answer two questions:1)how do species’temperature niche breadth and precipitation niche breadth influence specimen number?2)which trait is most associated with bird specimen number?The associations between bird specimen number and explanatory variables were examined using ordinary least squares,generalized linear models,phylogenetic generalized linear mixed models,and multiple comparisons.The results showed that Muscicapidae was the family with the highest specimen number,and Passeriformes was the order with the highest specimen number.Bird specimen number significantly increased with larger temperature niche breadth and precipitation niche breadth.Specimen number was also positively associated with geographic range size,habitat specificity,hunting vulnerability and clutch size,but negatively associated with body size.These findings suggest that future bird specimen collection should pay more attention to birds with limited ecological niches,large body sizes,and small clutch sizes.This research enhances the use of bird specimen data to study and preserve biodiversity.

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.

Polysaccharide-rich extract of Potentilla anserina ameliorates nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in free fatty acid-induced HepG2 cells and high-fat/sugar diet-fed mice

Potentilla anserina L.(PA)belongs to the Rosaceae family,is a common edible plant in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau areas of China.This study elucidates the mechanism upon which crude polysaccharide of PA(PAP)on fat accumulation in HepG2 cells stimulated by oleic acid(OA)and high fat high sugar induced mice.The result revealed that PAP inhibited lipid accumulation in obese mice and ameliorated the degree of damage in OA-induced HepG2 cells.Specifically,compared to the control group,the TG and TC levels were decreased in cells and mice serum,the aspartate transaminase and alamine aminotransferase contents were declined in liver of obese mice by PAP treatment.The expressions of adipogenic genes of SREBP-1c,C/EBPα,PPARγ,and FAS were inhibited after PAP treatment.Moreover,PAP increased the mRNA levels of CPT-1 and PPARα,which were involved in fatty acid oxidation.The present results indicated the PAP could alleviate the damage of liver associated with obesity and PAP treatment might provide a dietary therapeutic option for the treatment of hyperlipidemia.

OsPPG encodes a pseudouridine-5'-phosphate glycosidase and regulates rice spikelet development

Florets are the basic structural units of spikelets,and their morphogenesis determines the yield and quality of rice grains.However,whether and how pseudouridine-5’-phosphate glycosidase participates in rice spikelet development remains an open question.In this study,we identified a novel gene,OsPPG,which encodes a peroxisome-localized pseudouridine-5’-phosphate glycosidase and regulates the development of rice spikelets.osppg mutants exhibited abnormal sterile lemma,lemma,palea,lodicule,stamens,and pistils;male sterility;shorter panicles;and reduced plant height.OsPPG was found to regulate several OsMADS genes,thereby affecting the morphogenesis of rice spikelets.Furthermore,metabolomics revealed that the OsPPG gene was involved in the decomposition of pseudouridine via the pyrimidine metabolism pathway and may affect the jasmonic acid signaling pathway.These results suggest that OsPPG is a key regulator of rice spikelet development.

Genome-Wide Discovery and Expression Profiling of the SWEET Sugar Transporter Gene Family in Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) under Developmental and Stress Conditions: Structural and Evolutionary Analysis

The SWEET(sugar will eventually be exported transporter)family proteins are a recently identified class of sugar transporters that are essential for various physiological processes.Although the functions of the SWEET proteins have been identified in a number of species,to date,there have been no reports of the functions of the SWEET genes in woodland strawberries(Fragaria vesca).In this study,we identified 15 genes that were highly homolo-gous to the A.thaliana AtSWEET genes and designated them as FvSWEET1–FvSWEET15.We then conducted a structural and evolutionary analysis of these 15 FvSWEET genes.The phylogenetic analysis enabled us to categor-ize the predicted 15 SWEET proteins into four distinct groups.We observed slight variations in the exon‒intron structures of these genes,while the motifs and domain structures remained highly conserved.Additionally,the developmental and biological stress expression profiles of the 15 FvSWEET genes were extracted and analyzed.Finally,WGCNA coexpression network analysis was run to search for possible interacting genes of FvSWEET genes.The results showed that the FvSWEET10 genes interacted with 20 other genes,playing roles in response to bacterial and fungal infections.The outcomes of this study provide insights into the further study of FvSWEET genes and may also aid in the functional characterization of the FvSWEET genes in woodland strawberries.

Different people,different wild:Comparing and mapping wilderness representation in Wuyishan National Park,China

It is essential to better integrate wilderness representations of different stakeholders into wilderness conservation.The way in which local residents and other stakeholders frame the construction of wilderness of protected areas in developing countries are poorly understood.In these areas,land use policy and decision may lead to conflicts.This study aims to explore existing public wilderness representations using a questionnaire survey(n=514)administered amongst tourists and other stakeholders in the Wuyishan National Park,in southeast China.The spatial differences in public representations of wilderness across different stakeholder groups were compared against expert knowledge.We found that integrated wilderness representation maps of different stakeholder groups were consistent,namely'area where wild animals live','area with no human influence','a barren and lonely area'.However,three sub-representations of the individual stakeholders varied significantly.Moreover,expert-based wilderness mapping did not reflect public representations accurately,and an integrated wilder-ness quality map considering wilderness representations across both stakeholders and experts can better identify detailed wilderness areas.Our study provides new insights and technical support for future exploration of wilder-ness conservation and mapping in China and other countries with insufficient awareness of wilderness values and investigations in a regional scale.

Accelerating the Digitalization Process in Rural China and Promoting Common Prosperity

Under the historical background of promoting agricultural and rural modernization in an all-round way,this paper deeply analyzes the practical significance of digital construction in rural China,and explores the problems in the digitalization level of rural infrastructure,farmers digitalization awareness and accomplishment,and agricultural digital system.Countermeasures and suggestions are put forward from four aspects:digital village construction policy system,rural digital infrastructure construction,rural digital talent cultivation system,and agricultural digital system,and the rural digital construction of Huzhou City is taken as an example,in order to further realize the goal of empowering rural farmers with digital technology for common prosperity.

Review of Accessing Academic Discourse:Systemic Functional Linguistics and Legitimation Code Theory

Accessing Academic Discourse:Systemic Functional Linguistics and Legitimation Code Theory,was edited by J.R.Martin,Karl Maton and Y.J.Doran and published by Routledge in 2020.This volume explores the dialogue with Legitimation Code Theory(LCT)from the viewpoint of systemic functional linguistics(SFL).“Systemic functional linguistics(SFL)is a long-established and widely known approach to understanding language.Legitimation Code Theory(LCT)is a younger and rapidly growing approach to exploring and shaping knowledge practices”(p.1).They have become widely used to access academic discourse by a growing number of systemic scholars and educators.