Identification and validation of stable quantitative trait loci for yield component traits in wheat

Grain weight and grain number are important yield component traits in wheat and identification of underlying genetic loci is helpful for improving yield.Here,we identified eight stable quantitative trait loci(QTL)for yield component traits,including five loci for thousand grain weight(TGW)and three for grain number per spike(GNS)in a recombinant inbred line population derived from cross Yangxiaomai/Zhongyou 9507 across four environments.Since grain size is a major determinant of grain weight,we also mapped QTL for grain length(GL)and grain width(GW).QTGW.caas-2D,QTGW.caas-3B,QTGW.caas-5A and QTGW.caas-7A.2 for TGW co-located with those for grain size.QTGW.caas-2D also had a consistent genetic position with QGNS.caas-2D,suggesting that the pleiotropic locus is a modulator of trade-off effect between TGW and GNS.Sequencing and linkage mapping showed that TaGL3-5A and WAPO-A1 were candidate genes of QTGW.caas-5A and QTGW.caas-7A.2,respectively.We developed Kompetitive allele specific PCR(KASP)markers linked with the stable QTL for yield component traits and validated their genetic effects in a diverse panel of wheat cultivars from the Huang-Huai River Valley region.KASP-based genotyping analysis further revealed that the superior alleles of all stable QTL for TGW but not GNS were subject to positive selection,indicating that yield improvement in the region largely depends on increased TGW.Comparative analyses with previous studies showed that most of the QTL could be detected in different genetic backgrounds,and QTGW.caas-7A.1 is likely a new QTL.These findings provide not only valuable genetic information for yield improvement but also useful tools for marker-assisted selection.

QTL mapping for pre-harvest sprouting in a recombinant inbred line population of elite wheat varieties Zhongmai 578 and Jimai 22

Pre-harvest sprouting(PHS)is one of the serious global issues in wheat production.Identification of quantitative trait loci(QTL)and closely-linked markers is greatly helpful for wheat improvement.In the present study,a recombinant inbred line(RIL)population derived from the cross of Zhongmai 578(ZM578)/Jimai 22(JM22)and parents were phenotyped in five environments and genotyped by the wheat 50 K single-nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)array.Two QTL of germination index(GI),QGI.caas-3A and QGI.caas-5A,were detected,explaining 4.33%–5.58%and 4.43%–8.02%of the phenotypic variances,respectively.The resistant effect of QGI.caas-3A was contributed by JM22,whereas that of QGI.caas.5A was from ZM578.The two QTL did not correspond to any previously identified genes or genetic loci for PHSrelated traits according to their locations in the Chinese Spring reference genome,indicating that they are likely to be new loci for PHS resistance.Four kompetitive allele-specific PCR(KASP)markers K_AX-109605367and K_AX-179559687 flanking QGI.caas-3A,and K_AX-111258240 and K_AX-109402944flanking QGI.caas-5A,were developed and validated in a natural population of 100 wheat cultivars.The distribution frequency of resistance alleles at Qphs.caas-3A and Qphs.caas-5A loci were 82.7%and57.1%,respectively,in the natural population.These findings provide new QTL and tightly linked KASP markers for improvement of PHS resistance in wheat.

The Impact of Sustainable Development Strategies on Corporate Performance

Enterprises must develop and implement effective strategic measures to achieve sustainable development.This entails evaluating corporate performance,understanding the impact of sustainable development strategies on corporate performance,and implementing such strategies.The article proposes eight critical countermeasures to foster harmony and sustainable development among humanity,nature,the economy,and society:innovation-driven initiatives,green development practices,social responsibility initiatives,talent cultivation programs,collaborative cooperation efforts,sound financial management,brand-building endeavors,and effective information management.

MOFzyme: FJU-21 with Intrinsic High Protease-Like Activity for Hydrolysis of Proteins

In this work, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) FJU-21 was synthesized by solvothermal method. The crystal structure of FJU-21 was characterized by XRD and BET and it was applied to the catalytic hydrolysis of bovine serum albumin. The effects of reaction pH, temperature and reaction time on the catalytic activity of FJU-21 were studied. FJU-21 were found to possess an intrinsic enzyme mimicking activity similar to that found in trypsin. The Michaelis constant (Km) of the artificial protease (0.18 × 10-3 - 0.20 × 10-3 M-1) was about 15-fold lower than that free trypsin (2.7 × 10-3 M-1) and about 3-fold lower than that of soluble Cu(II) oxacyclen (0.54 × 10-3 M-1). The Kcat of FJU-21 is 102 times higher than that of soluble Cu(II) oxacyclen catalysts and, indicating a much higher affinity of BSA for FJU-21 surface. FJU-21 could be reused for eleven times without losing in its activity.

The construction of high precision geostrophic currents based on new gravity models of GOCE and satellite altimetry data

The new gravity field models of gravity field and steady-state ocean circulation explorer(GOCE),TIM_R6 and DIR_R6,were released by the European Space Agency(ESA)in June 2019.The sixth generation of gravity models have the highest possible signal and lowest error levels compared with other GOCE-only gravity models,and the accuracy is significantly improved.This is an opportunity to build high precision geostrophic currents.The mean dynamic topography and geostrophic currents have been calculated by the 5th(TIM_R5 and DIR_R5),6th(TIM_R6 and DIR_R6)release of GOCE gravity field models and ITSG-Grace2018 of GRACE gravity field model in this study.By comparison with the drifter results,the optimal filtering lengths of them have been obtained(for DIR_R5,DIR_R6,TIM_R5 and TIM_R6 models are 1°and for ITSG-Grace2018 model is 1.1°).The filtered results show that the geostrophic currents obtained by the GOCE gravity field models can better reflect detailed characteristics of ocean currents.The total geostrophic speed based on the TIM_R6 model is similar to the result of the DIR_R6 model with standard deviation(STD)of 0.320 m/s and 0.321 m/s,respectively.The STD of the total velocities are 0.333 m/s and 0.325 m/s for DIR_R5 and TIM_R5.When compared with ITSG-Grace2018 results,the STD(0.344 m/s)of total geostrophic speeds is larger than GOCE results,and the accuracy of geostrophic currents obtained by ITSG-Grace2018 is lower.And the absolute errors are mainly distributed in the areas with faster speeds,such as the Antarctic circumpolar circulation,equatorial region,Kuroshio and Gulf Stream areas.After the remove-restore technique was applied to TIM_R6 MDT,the STD of total geostrophic speeds dropped to 0.162 m/s.

Reducing the vacancies associated with ferroelectric polarization to promote photocatalytic overall water splitting

Ferroelectric materials hold great promise in photocatalytic water splitting because their built-in electric field induced by the depolarization field can fulfill the separation of photogenerated carriers.However,a number of intrinsic charged vacancy defects are simultaneously generated to screen the depolarized field for stabilizing the crystal structure,always resulting in severe recombination of photogenerated carriers and thus poor overall water splitting activity.Herein,we proposed a strategy to promote the separation and transport of photogenerated carriers of ferroelectric photocatalysts by adjusting the ferroelectric polarization and altering the coordination environment of elements to reduce the defect concentration.Specifically,we prepared a series of Ta-doped PbTiO_(3)with low Pb(V_(Pb))and O(V_(O))vacancy concentrations by reducing the polarization intensity and strengthening the Pb–O interaction.The Ta-doped PbTiO_(3)shows efficient charge separation and greatly enhanced photocatalytic overall water splitting activity with the assistance of cocatalyst.This work highlights the importance of regulating ferroelectric polarization and vacancy defect concentration by the doping strategy in charge separation for photocatalytic water splitting.

Crustal thickness beneath the Tanlu fault zone and its tectonic significance based on two-layer H-κstacking

Tanlu fault zone(TLFZ)is the largest active fault zone in eastern China.It is characterized by complex tectonic evolution and multiple faults and marks the boundary between the North and South China blocks.An indepth understanding of the distinct crustal structures of both parts of the TLFZ will provide valuable insights into the lithospheric and crustal thinning in eastern China,extensive magmatism since the Mesozoic,and formation mechanisms of metallogenic belts along the Yangtze River.In this study,a two-layer H-κstacking approach was adopted to estimate the thicknesses of the sediment and crystalline crust as well as the corresponding vP/vS ratios based on high-quality teleseismic P-wave receiver functions recorded by permanent and temporary stations in and around the TLFZ.The geological units in the study region were delineated,especially the crustal structures beneath extensive sedimentary basins on both sides of the TLFZ.The following conclusions can be drawn:(1)The crustal thickness in and around the TLFZ greatly varies depending on the segment.In the northern segment,the crust is relatively thin beneath the eastern part of the Songliao Basin,a broad uplift of the Moho can be observed,and the Moho descends from south to north.The crust below the central and southern segments becomes thinner from west to east.The thickness of the crust is less than 30 km toward the eastern side of the boundary between the Jiangsu and Anhui provinces,that is,significantly thinner than in other areas.In terms of the vP/vS ratios,high anomalies were detected in the central-southern segments of the TLFZ,indicating the upwelling of deep mantle magma via deep faults.(2)Positive isostatic gravity anomalies were observed in the eastern part of the northern segment of the TLFZ and in the eastern part of the Suwan segment.The crustal thickness is smaller than that obtained from the Airy model of isostasy.This suggests that the lower crust in this area may have experienced intensive transformation processes,which may be related to crustal thinning(caused by crustal extension)and the strong uplift of the mantle in eastern China.The isostatic gravity anomalies between the eastern and western parts of the TLFZ indicate that the fault zone plays a dominant role in controlling the development of the deep crustal structure.(3)Significant crustal thinning was observed beneath the eastern part of the boundary between the Jiangsu and Anhui provinces in the southern segment of the TLFZ,suggesting that this area is prone to lithospheric thinning of the North China Craton.Due to the subduction,compression,and retreat of the Paleo-Pacific Plate during the Yanshanian Period as well as the dehydration of subducting oceanic crust(within subduction zones),the asthenosphere and oceanic crust in eastern China partially melted,resulting in mantle enrichment.The basic magma from the mantle is accumulated at the base of the crust,leading to magmatic underplating.In areas with weak topography toward the east of the TLFZ,magma rises to the upper crust and surface,resulting in the enrichment of multiple metal deposits in this area.

Empirical Research on the Credit Demand and Credit Behavior of Small and Micro Enterprises

This article uses discriminant sampling method to select 1062 small and micro enterprises from 25 provinces in China. Researches were conducted on their credit demand and credit behavior, with the Probit model to carry out metrologic tests on influential factors of these enterprises' credit demand and credit behavior.The metrologic analysis shows: Literacy level of leader, asset size, annual revenue of the enterprises have significantly positive effects on the credit demand of these small and micro enterprises. Annual revenue has significantly negative influence on overall credit behavior and the occurrence of informal financial behavior, but significantly positive influence on the occurrence of formal financial behavior. Literacy level of staff and asset size of enterprises have significantly positive influence on the occurrence of the overall credit behavior of small and micro enterprises.

A multi-scale 3-D crust velocity model in the Hefei-Chao Lake area around the southern segment of Tanlu Fault Zone

Regional high-precision velocity models of the crust are an important foundation for examining seismic activity,seismogenic environments,and disaster distribution characteristics.The Hefei-Chao Lake area contains the main geological units of Hefei Basin,with thick sediments and the Chao Lake depression.Several major concealed faults of the southern NNE-trending Tanlu Fault Zone cross this area.To further explore the underground distribution characteristics of the faults and their tectonic evolutionary relationship with adjacent tectonic units,this study used ambient noise data recorded by a seismic array deployed in Hefei City and Chao Lake,constructing a 3-D velocity model at the depth of 1–8 km.Then a multi-scale high-resolution 3-D velocity model of this area was constructed by this new upper crustal velocity model with the previous middle and lower crustal model.The new model reveals that a high-velocity belt is highly consistent with the strike of the Tanlu Fault Zone,and a low-velocity sedimentary characteristic is consistent with the Hefei Basin and Chao Lake depression.The distribution morphology of high and low velocity bodies shows that the sedimentary pattern of Hefei-Chao Lake area is closely related to the tectonic evolution of the Tanlu Fault Zone since the Mesozoic.This study also identifies multiple low-velocity anomalies in the southeastern Hefei City.We speculate that strong ground motion during the 2009 Feidong earthquake(magnitude of 3.5)was related to amplification by the thick sediments in the Hefei Basin.We also discuss further applications of multi-scale high-resolution models of the shallow layer to strong ground motion simulations in cities and for earthquake disaster assessments.

A mussel-induced approach to secondary functional cross-linking 3-aminopropytriethoxysilane to modify the graphene oxide membrane for wastewater purification

Graphene oxide(GO)with one-atom-thick exhibit remarkable molecule sieving properties,but its low permeance flux renders it difficult to be applied in practice as a high-permeance separation membrane.In this study,we design complex membrane from covalently crosslinked GO,polydopamine(PDA),and 3-aminopropytriethoxysilane(APTES)as building blocks to fabricate the high-permeance GO-based membrane via the vacuum filtration method.A branched crosslinking product(PDA/APTES)working as a clamp grasped the hydrophilic functional groups(hydroxyl,epoxy,carboxyl)on GO for improving the GO membrane flux.The interlayer structure of the GO membrane was optimized according to the crosslinker concentration,reaction time,initial p H,and temperature for RGO/PDA/APTES(RGPA)in this study.At the optimized reaction conditions including the crosslinker concentration of 1.4 m L/L,the temperature of 80°C,the time of 16 h,and the initial p H of 8.5 for RGPA mixture,the interlayer gallery of RGPA membrane was effectively tunes,endowing high flux ranging from 11.98 L m^(-2)h^(-1)to 1823.97 L m^(-2)h^(-1).Besides,the RGPA membrane ensured the high rejections to dye solutions such as methylene blue(MB)(>99%)and congo red(CR)(>90%).Meanwhile,the superior reusable performance of the RGPA membrane was achieved,together with the rejections for MB and CR to 96.32%and 93.1%after 4 cycles,respectively.Also,the RGPA membrane possessed superior anti-fouling performances for bovine serum albumin(BSA)aqueous solution and excellent stabilities in harsh conditions(p H 3,7 and 11).Grafting the crosslinker onto GO nanosheets exhibits the distinct advantages of achieving the high flux,high rejections to dyes,and superior reusable performance of membranes,posing a great application potential for membrane separation technology in wastewater treatment.

Structure and frustrated magnetism of the two-dimensional triangular lattice antiferromagnet Na_(2)BaNi(PO_(4))_(2)

A new frustrated triangular lattice antiferromagnet Na_(2)BaNi(PO_(4))_(2) was synthesized by high temperature flux method.The two-dimensional triangular lattice is formed by the Ni^(2+)ions with S=1.Its magnetism is highly anisotropic with the Weiss constants θCW=6.615 K(H||c)and43.979 K(H⊥c).However,no magnetic ordering is present down to 0.3 K,reflecting strong geometric spin frustration.Our heat capacity measurements show substantial residual magnetic entropy existing below 0.3 K at zero field,implying the presence of low energy spin excitations.These results indicate that Na_(2)BaNi(PO_(4))_(2) is a potential spin liquid candidate with spin-1.

MOFzyme: Enzyme Mimics of Fe/Fe-MIL-101

In this work, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) Fe-MIL-101 was synthesized by hydrothermal method, and Fe/Fe-MIL-101 with different loadings was prepared. The crystal structure of the Fe/Fe-MIL-101 sample was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and specific surface area measurement (BET). Fe/Fe-MIL-101 was found to posses an intrinsic enzyme mimicking activity similar to that found in natural horse-radish peroxidase (HRP). The Michaelis constant (Km) of 5% Fe/Fe-MIL-101 with ABTS as the substrate is about 10-fold smaller than Fe-MIL-101 and about 3-fold smaller than HRP, and about 108 times less than that of CuO NPs (Km = 10.28 mM), indicating a much higher affinity for ABTS than HRP and most of the peroxidase mimetics.

Butyrate acts as a G-protein-coupled receptor ligand that prevents high glucose-induced amyloidogenesis in N2a cells through the protein kinase B/glycogen synthase kinase-3β pathway

To the Editor:Alzheimer’s disease(AD)and type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)are major causes of morbidity and mortality in older individuals,and their epidemiological link generates substantial challenges for the management of these devastating diseases.Abnormal glucose metabolism,accompanied by inhibition of the protein kinase B(Akt)/glycogen synthase kinase-3b(GSK-3b)signaling pathway,is a key factor in amyloid precursor protein(APP)accumulation and amyloid b(Ab)formation in neuronal cells.[1-3]Therefore,activation of the Akt/GSK-3b pathway may be a promising target for AD treatment.

Feature Extraction for Effective Content-Based Cloth Image Retrieval in E-Commerce

Cloth image retrieval in E-Commerce is a challenging task. In this paper, we propose an effective approach to solve this problem. Our work chooses three features for retrieval: (1) description (2) category (3) color features. It can handle clothes with multiple colors, complex background, and model disturbances. To evaluate the proposed method, we collect a set of women cloth images from Amazon.com. Results reported here demonstrate the robustness and effectiveness of our retrieval method.

Application of bioactive hydrogels combined with dental pulp stem cells for the repair of large gap peripheral nerve injuries

Due to the limitations in autogenous nerve grafting or Schwann cell transplantation,large gap peripheral nerve injuries require a bridging strategy supported by nerve conduit.Cell based therapies provide a novel treatment for peripheral nerve injuries.In this study,we first experimented an optimal scaffold material synthesis protocol,from where we selected the 10%GFD formula(10%GelMA hydrogel,recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor and dental pulp stem cells(DPSCs))to fill a cellulose/soy protein isolate composite membrane(CSM)tube to construct a third generation of nerve regeneration conduit,CSM-GFD.Then this CSM-GFD conduit was applied to repair a 15-mm long defect of sciatic nerve in a rat model.After 12 week post implant surgery,at histologic level,we found CSM-GFD conduit could regenerate nerve tissue like neuron and Schwann like nerve cells and myelinated nerve fibers.At physical level,CSM-GFD achieved functional recovery assessed by a sciatic functional index study.In both levels,CSM-GFD performed like what gold standard,the nerve autograft,could do.Further,we unveiled that almost all newly formed nerve tissue at defect site was originated from the direct differentiation of exogeneous DPSCs in CSM-GFD.In conclusion,we claimed that this third-generation nerve regeneration conduit,CSM-GFD,could be a promising tissue engineering approach to replace the conventional nerve autograft to treat the large gap defect in peripheral nerve injuries.

Corrigendum to‘Application of bioactive hydrogels combined with dental pulp stem cells for the repair of large gap peripheral nerve injuries’[Bioactive Mater.6(3)(2021)638-654]

The authors regret that the author(A.H.)was removed as an agreement could not be reached between the two affiliations of the author.The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Matrine attenuates oxidative stress and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity via maintaining AMPKα/UCP2 pathway

Oxidative stress and cardiomyocyte apoptosis are involved in the pathogenesis of doxorubicin(DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity. Matrine is well-known for its powerful anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic capacities. Our present study aimed to investigate the effect of matrine on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and try to unearth the underlying mechanisms. Mice were exposed with DOX to generate DOX-induced cardiotoxicity or normal saline as control. H9 C2 cells were used to verify the effect of matrine in vitro.DOX injection triggered increased generation of reactive oxygen species(ROS) and excessive cardiomyocyte apoptosis, which were significantly mitigated by matrine. Mechanistically, we found that matrine ameliorated DOX-induced uncoupling protein 2(UCP2) downregulation, and UCP2 inhibition bygenipin could blunt the protective effect of matrine on DOX-induced oxidative stress and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Besides, 50-AMP-activated protein kinase α2(Ampkα2) deficiency inhibited matrine-mediated UCP2 preservation and abolished the beneficial effect of matrine in mice. Besides, we observed that matrine incubation alleviated DOX-induced H9 C2 cells apoptosis and oxidative stress level via activating AMPKα/UCP2, which were blunted by either AMPKα or UCP2 inhibition with genetic or pharmacological methods. Matrine attenuated oxidative stress and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity via maintaining AMPKα/UCP2 pathway, and it might be a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.

A novel mosquito-borne reassortant orbivirus isolated from Xishuangbanna,China

Dear Editor,The genus Orbivirus,within the family Reoviridae,includes 22 virus species(King et al.,2011).They are distributed globally,but are particularly prevalent in Europe,Asia,and Africa.In addition,they can be transmitted by ticks or other hematophagous insect vectors,including Culicoides,mosquitoes,and sandflies(Belaga-

The effects of Eu^(3+) doping on the epitaxial growth and photovoltaic properties of BiFeO_(3) thin films

Nowadays,photovoltaic effect has been widely studied in various ferroelectric materials due to its ap-plications as optoelectronic devices.In this work,with BiFeO_(3)(BFO)films as the photovoltaic materials,we report the effects of Eu^(3+)doping content on the phase structure,ferroelectric and optical properties of BFO films grown on Ca_(0.96) Ce_(0.04) MnO_(3)/YAlO_(3)(001)substrate.We found that a small doping level of 0.05 could induce a phase change of BFO from tetragonal to rhombohedral,due to the shrinking of the lattice upon Eu^(3+)doping and the breaking of surface terrace structure induced by Ca_(0.96) Ce_(0.04) MnO_(3) layer.This results in a sharp band gap reduction from 3.30 eV to 2.60 eV,and a decrease in the coercivity of ferroelectric polarization switching.Based on these findings,we investigate the photovoltaic effects of ITO/Eu_(x) Bi_(1-x) FeO_(3)/Ca_(0.96) Ce_(0.04) MnO_(3) vertical capacitors.It is found that the short-circuit current density(J_(sc))decreases with increasing Eu^(3+)doping,whereas the open-circuit voltage(V_(oc))first increases to a level of 0.1 V and then decreases with further Eu^(3+)doping.This could be explained by the combined ef-fect of Schottky-junction and depolarization field on the photovoltaic process.Our research suggests that a moderate Eu^(3+)doping is helpful for enhancing the photovoltaic effect of BFO thin film devices.