Introgression of QTL from Aegilops tauschii enhances yield-related traits in common wheat

To break the narrow diversity bottleneck of the wheat D genome, a set of Aegilops tauschii-wheat introgression(A-WI) lines was developed by crossing Ae. tauschii accession T015 with common wheat elite cultivar Zhoumai 18(Zhou18). A high-density genetic map was constructed based on Single Nucleotide Polymorphism(SNP) markers and 15 yield-related traits were evaluated in 11 environments for detecting quantitative trait loci(QTL). A total of 27 environmentally stable QTL were identified in at least five environments, 20 of which were derived from Ae. tauschii T015, explaining up to 24.27% of the phenotypic variations. The major QTL for kernel length(KL), QKl-2D.5, was delimited to a physical interval of approximately 2.6 Mb harboring 52 candidate genes. Three Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR(KASP)markers were successfully developed based on nonsynonymous nucleotide mutations of candidate gene AetT093_2Dv1G100900.1 and showed that A-WI lines with the T015 haplotype had significantly longer KL than the Zhou18 haplotype across all 11 environments. Four primary valuable A-WIs with good trait performance and carrying yield-related QTL were selected for breeding improvement. The results will facilitate the efficient transfer of beneficial genes from Ae. tauschii into wheat cultivars to improve wheat yield and other traits.

Establishment of a Construct-specific Real-time PCR Method for Quantitative Detection of Genetically Modified Maize Line MIR604

In this study, a construct-specific real-time PCR method for quantitative detection of genetically modified maize line MIR604 was established with prim- ers and probes designed based on vector sequence of MIR604 under optimized reaction system and thermal cycling condition. By using the established method, six non-genetically modified crops, genetically modified maize line MIR604 and other non-target genetically modified crops were detected. According to the results, flu- orescence signal could be detected in genomie DNA of MIR604, but other non-genetically modified crops and non-target genetically modified crops exhibited no fluo- rescence signal of MIR604 molecular fragment. Certified reference materials containing 1% MIR604 were detected with the established method and the results indi- cated that the average relative content in the test samples was 1.05%. The sensitivity analysis results indicated that MIR604 nucleic acid fragment with at least five copies could be detected with the established method. In conclusion, the construct-specific real-time PCR method for quantitative detection of genetically modified maize line MIR604 is of high specificity, accuracy and sensitivity, which provides technical support for safety supervision of genetically modified organisms in China.

Evaluation of Uncertainty in Measuring the Content of CaM V35S Promoter in Genetically Modified Soybean,GTS40-3-2,by Real-time Quantitative PCR

[ Objective ] This study aimed to investigate the major contributors to the measurement uncertainty in quantitative analysis of genetically modified ingreclients and improve the quality of quantitative detection of genetically modified components. [ Method] The content of CaMV35S promoter （parameter） in GTS40- 3-2 soybean powder samples was measured to estimate the measurement uncertainty preliminarily. [ Result] Type A uncertainty （uA） ＇ type B uncertainty （uB） and combined standard uncertainty （Uc） were 0.0 004, 0.002 and 0.002, respectively. At a confidence level ofp = 95% and freedom degree of Voff = 3 251, coverage factor k = 1.96, expanded uncertainty U = 0.004. The final measurement result was C = 0.028 ± 0. 004, which was dose to the conventional true value （0.03）. Thus, the measurement uncertainty was relatively small, indicating a high quality of measurement. In this study, uncertainty evaluation indicated that the deviation of micro liquid transfer made the greatest contribution to the measurement uncertainty. [ Cludusion ] The deviation of micro liquid transfer should be reduced to im- prove the quality of measurement.

Uncertainty in Detecting Specific Fragment of Genetically Modified Maize Event NK603 by Real-time Fluorescence Quantitative PCR

In this study, the event-specific real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR method established by Siehuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences was employed to detect the content of flanking fragment （specific fragment） in samples containing 2% genetically modified maize event NK603. The uncertainty of detection results was evaluated based on various uncertainty sources, such as PCR amplification system, data analysis and micropipette. The results showed that A-type uncertainty （ uA ）, B-type uncertainty （ uB ）, combined standard uncertainty （ uC ） and expanded uncertainty （ U95 ） were 0. 000 8,0.1301,0. 001 and 0. 002, respectively; the final detection result was 1.9% ±0.002. Thus, the main uncertainty in detecting flanking fragment of genetically modified maize event NK603 with realtime fluorescence quantitative PCR method was derived from the random effect in the experimental process.

Interprovincial Comparison and Evaluation of Export Competitiveness of Gannan Navel Orange Based on 2011-2016 Data

China's orange export was mainly concentrated in Jiangxi,Guangxi,Guangdong,Yunnan,and Fujian.The annual output of Jiangxi Gannan navel orange ranks first in the whole China,but the export competitiveness is not very prominent.In view of this,this paper compared the regional market advantages,export performance,export growth rate and export price of Gannan navel orange between Yunnan,Guangxi,Guangdong and Fujian.Through comparative analysis,it discussed the main problems in the development of Gannan navel orange.On the basis of learning development experience of orange industry of Guangxi,Guangdong,Fujian,and Yunnan,it came up with recommendations for improving export competitiveness of Gannan navel orange.

Knowledge about the Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment and Recognition of Sepsis: A Survey among Emergency Nurses

The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of emergency nurses of quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(qSOFA)score,screening tool,and recognition,and importance of sepsis.A multicenter study including 110 ED nurses from six hospitals in Qingdao was conducted.A validated questionnaire was used to evaluate ED nurses’knowledge about qSOFA,sepsis 3.0,and early sepsis screening tool with qSOFA.The scores of knowledge about sepsis 3.0 and qSOFA were lower.The scores of the different characteristics of nurses were statistically different(P<0.05).Col1egues,self-study,and school were the main source of knowledge about sepsis.Manager should improve the cognition of sepsis and strengthen staff training about sepsis in ED.

Development of an Event-specific Quantitative PCR for Genetically Modified Maize (Zea mays) Event NK603

[ Objective ] The aim of this study was to develop a quantitative PCR detection method for genetically modified maize event NK603, so as to provide ba- sis for quantitative analysis of event NK603. [ Methods ] A quantitative PCR detection method for genetically modified maize event NK603 was developed using primers and Taqman probe designed according to the flanking sequence of event NK603, which was then adopted to detect the samples containing 2% NK603 stand- ard （with uncertain quantity of 10% ）. [ Results ] The slope of standard curve ranged between -3.6 and -3.1, and the correlation coefficient was higher than 0. 99. The amplification efficiency of this method reached 100.2%, fallen between 90% and 110%. The detected quantity of the experimental sample was 1.9%, closer to the true quantity （2%）. [ Conclusion] This quantitative PCR detection method for genetically modified maize event NK603 is very precise and can be a- dopted in routine testing analysis.

Mitochondrial YBX1 promotes cancer cell metastasis by inhibiting pyruvate uptake

Pyruvate is an essential fuel for maintaining the tricarboxylic acid(TCA)cycle in the mitochondria.However,the precise mole-cular mechanism of pyruvate uptake by mitochondrial pyruvate carrier(MPC)is largely unknown.Here,we report that the DNA/RNA-binding protein Y-box binding protein 1(YBX1)is localized to the mitochondrial inter-membrane space by its C-terminal domain(CTD)in cancer cells.In mitochondria,YBX1 inhibits pyruvate uptake by associating with MPC1/2,thereby suppressing pyruvate-dependent TCA cycle flux.This association,in turn,promotes MPC-mediated glutaminolysis and histone lactylation.Our findings reveal that the YBX1-MPC axis exhibits a positive correlation with metastatic potential,while does not affect cell proliferation in both cultured cells and tumor xenografts.Therefore,the restricted pyruvate uptake into mitochondria potentially represents a hallmark of metastatic capacity,suggesting that the YBX1-MPC axis is a therapeutic target for combating cancer metastasis.

Modulation of dynamic aggregation in fluorogenic SNAP-tag probes for long-term super-resolution imaging

The combination of super-resolution microscopy and synthetic fluorescence probes has emerged as a universal tool to monitor dynamic biological events at the nanometer scale.However,the limited site-specificity and fluorogenicity of synthetic fluorescent probes make it still difficult to realize long-term super-resolution imaging.Herein,we introduce a dynamic aggregation mediated SNAP-tag fluorogenic probe,BGAN-Aze,which can specifically bind to various SNAP-tag fusion proteins with 41-fold fluorescence enhancement.The equilibrium between the non-fluorescent aggregate/dimer(A–D)and the fluorescent monomer(M)of BGAN-Aze acts as an effective method to reduce the fluorescence background and endow BGAN-Aze with the capability of conducting washing-free super-resolution imaging of various intracellular and extracellular proteins.Using this probe,we monitored multiple dynamic biological events,such as MMC,mitophagy,the fusion of nucleolus,and the growth and contact of filopodia.We expect that BGAN-Aze will become a widely used SNAP-tag for super-resolution imaging of dynamic biological events and the A-D-M equilibrium can be a general strategy for designing fluorogenic probes.

Effects of particle composition and environmental parameters on catalytic hydrodechlorination of trichloroethylene by nanoscale bimetallic Ni-Fe

Catalytic nickel was successfully incorporated into nanoscale iron to enhance its dechlorination efficiency for trichloroethylene （TCE）, one of the most commonly detected chlorinated organic compounds in groundwater. Ethane was the predominant product. The greatest dechlorination efficiency was achieved at 22 molar percent of nickel. This nanoscale Ni-Fe is poorly ordered and inhomogeneous; iron dissolution occurred whereas nickel was relatively stable during the 24-hr reaction. The morphological characterization provided significant new insights on the mechanism of catalytic hydrodcchlorination by bimetallic nanoparticles. TCE degradation and ethane production rates were greatly affected by environmental parameters such as solution pH, temperature and common groundwater ions. Both rate constants decreased and then increased over the pH range of 6.5 to 8.0, with the minimum value occurring at pH 7.5. TCE degradation rate constant showed an increasing trend over the temperature range of 10 to 25℃. However, ethane production rate constant increased and then decreased over the range, with the maximum value occurring at 20℃, Most salts in the solution appeared to enhance the reaction in the first half hour but overall they displayed an inhibitory effect. Combined ions showed a similar effect as individual salts.

Discriminating against injectable fat emulsions with similar formulation based on water quenching fluorescent probe

The discrimination against nutritional fat emulsion injections was considered by imaging tools,which aims to elucidate the in vivo behaviors of nanoemulsions.In this study,20%nutritional fat emulsion injections were selected from different company including original and generic products.Meanwhile,a water quenching fluorescent probe(P2)was used to label them by an incubation method.The fluorescent intensity analysis of blood-borne fluorescence reveals rapid clearance of nanoemulsion in all groups,which shows'L'-type blood kinetic profiles.However,these kinetic parameters do not have significant difference.Following intravenous administration,the nanoemulsions in all groups concomitantly accumulated in organs of reticulo-endothelial system(RES),such as liver and spleen,and were cleared from body circulation mostly after 12 h.AUC(0-t)of organs from different groups showed dissimilar results in some organs.These intuitional results are of significance in understa nding the in vivo behaviors of nanoemulsions,which can provide a new way to discriminate against nutritional fat emulsions.

Screening and evaluation of antioxidants from lees by micro-injector systems combined with a fluorescent probe,N-borylbenzyloxycarbonyl-3,7-dihydroxyphenoxazine,in living Drosophila

Over the past few decades, the determination of antioxidant activity by chemical probe has been widely reported, but in vivo evaluation via model organisms of Drosophila melanogaster and rapid discovery system has not been studied adequately. In this study, we determined the antioxidant activity of lees and demonstrated the ability of compounds in lees to scavenge H_2O_2 in vitro and in vivo by different chemical probes. Lees increased the ability of Drosophila against oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme activity in vivo. Five ingredients of organic acids and flavones in lees extract that rapidly scavenged H_2O_2 were revealed by a post-column-derived HPLC-UV-FLD system based on 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid（PHPAA）chemiluminescence. Additionally, another fluorescent probe,N-borylbenzyloxycarbonyl-3,7-dihydroxyphenoxazine（NBCD）, was selected to evaluate the reactive oxygen species（ROS） scavenging capacity of lees in living Drosophila melanogaster using a microfluidic injection test coupled with microscopic imaging analysis, and similar effects were observed in flies when they were treated with tartaric acid and caffeic acid. The results demonstrated that the novel integrated system was suitable for screening and evaluating antioxidant ingredients from natural products.

Corrosion behavior of pure zinc and its alloy under thin electrolyte layer

The corrosion behavior of zinc and its alloy under thin electrolyte layers （TEL） in 0.1M NaC1 solution was investigated by cathodic polarization curves and EIS. There was only one phase in pure zinc while zinc alloy consisted of eutectic phase and primary phase. Corrosion rate of zinc alloy was faster than that of pure zinc due to the effect of the micro-galvanic couples between the primary phase and the eutectic phase. The results indicated that corrosion rate of zinc alloy was greatly enhanced under TEL than that in bulk solution. Pure zinc exhibited minimum corrosion resistance as TEL decreased to 198 #m. Zinc and its alloy exhibited localized corrosion under TEL while it was more uniform in bulk solution. There were two capacitive loops in high frequency （HF） and middle frequency （MF） respectively, with finite length diffusion in low frequency （LF） presented in EIS. For pure zinc under TEL below 300 pm an additional inductive loop presented in MF-LF. The corrosion products and morphology were respectively examined by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, FTIR （Fourier Transform Infra Red） and SEM-EDS. FTIR micro spectroscopy results indicated that the component of the corrosion products was similar at different section of the specimen surface but different in content.

Long-term super-resolution imaging of mitochondrial dynamics

Monitoring dynamics of mitochondria has become an essential approach to explore the function of mitochondria in living cells with the emergence of super-resolution fluorescence microscopy.However,long-term super-resolution imaging of mitochondria is still challenging due to the lack of photostable fluorescent probes and stable mitochondria-specific markers which are not affected by the changes of mitochondrial membrane potential.Here,we introduce a method for long-term imaging mitochondrial dynamic through the SNAP-tag fluorogenic probe based on 4-azetidinyl-naphthalimide derivatives.Using structured illumination microscopy(SIM),we observed the fusion and fission of mitochondria over a course of 16 min at 109 nm resolution.Furthermore,the interactions as well as fusion between mitochondria and lysosomes were studied during mitophagy at the nanoscale.Convincingly,the combination of SNAP-tag fluorogenic probes and super-resolution fluorescence microscopy will offer a new way to monitor dynamic mitochondria in living cells.

Reservoir inflow predicting model based on machine learning algorithm via multi-model fusion:A case study of Jinshuitan river basin

Flood prevention and disaster mitigation have a great impact on people's lives and properties,and so it is urgent to realise high-accuracy inflow predictions for flood early warning.To this end,a prediction model based on a machine learning algorithm via a multimodel combination method is proposed to predict the inflow of Jinshuitan reservoir.Firstly,a data formatting scheme called the‘hydrological regime profile’is designed for input data.The whole data set is partitioned into a low-flow subset and a high-flow subset.Considering the high dimensions of the complex input data,convolutional neural networks(CNN),EXtreme gradient Boosting model(XGBoost)and a partial least squares model(PLS)are used.In the CNN and XGBoost models,a special loss function weighted on inflow is designed to improve the performance on high-inflow predictions.Finally,a multi-model combination method is proposed to improve the prediction performance.Compared with XGBoost,CNN and PLS,the root mean square error of the combined model is reduced by 41.64%,72.29%and 3.41%,respectively.As a consequence,the combined model is able to predict the inflows with higher accuracy compared to the single models.

Effects of Ag Addition on Precipitation and Fatigue Crack Propagation Behavior of a Medium-Strength Al–Zn–Mg Alloy

Effects of trace addition of Ag on the fatigue crack propagation behavior and microstructure of a mediumstrength aged AI-Zn-Mg alloy were investigated in the present work. The results show that a combination of enhanced tensile strength and improved fatigue crack propagation resistance in Al-Zn-Mg alloys is achieved with small addition of Ag. The enhanced strength is attributed to the high density of η＇ precip- itates within the grains and narrow precipitate free zones in the vicinity of grain boundaries. The main contribution to the improvement of fatigue crack propagation resistance comes from the coarser precipitates within the grains. When subjected to two-step aging. Ag-added alloy shows larger semi-coherent matrix precipitates. These relatively coarser precipitates increase the homogeneity of deformation and therefore improve the fatigue crack propagation resistance. In addition, microstructure analysis indicates that the size and distribution of inclusions as well as the grain structures of Al-Zn-Mg alloys are independent of Ag addition.

Organ-specific alterations in circadian genes by vertical sleeve gastrectomy in an obese diabetic mouse model

Current therapies for obesity and related complications have been shown to have limited benefits,including unsatisfactory weight loss and poor metabolic improvement.With recent developments in bariatric surgery,promising advancements have been made in clinical and scientific research,particularly in the management of obesity and diabetes.Vertical sleeve gastrectomy(VSG)has become increasingly popular due to its safety,simplicity,

New insights into the dispersion history and adaptive evolution of taxon Aegilops tauschii in China

Aegilops tauschii,the wild progenitor of wheat D-genome and a valuable germplasm for wheat improvement,has a wide natural distribution from eastern Turkey to China.However,the phylogenetic relationship and dispersion history of Ae.tauschii in China has not been scientifically clarified.In this study,we genotyped 208 accessions(with 104 in China)using dd RAD sequencing and 55K SNP array,and classified the population into six sublineages.Three possible spreading routes or events were identified,resulting in specific distribution patterns,with four sublineages found in Xinjiang,one in Qinghai,two in Shaanxi and one in Henan.We also established the correlation of SNP-based,karyotypebased and spike-morphology-based techniques to demonstrate the internal classification of Ae.tauschii,and developed consensus dataset with 1245 putative accessions by merging data previously published.Our analysis suggested that eight inter-lineage accessions could be assigned to the putative Lineage 3and these accessions would help to conserve the genetic diversity of the species.By developing the consensus phylogenetic relationships of Ae.tauschii,our work validated the hypothesis on the dispersal history of Ae.tauschii in China,and contributed to the efficient and comprehensive germplasm-mining of the species.

Atractylenolide-I covalently binds to CYP11B2,selectively inhibits aldosterone synthesis, and improves hyperaldosteronism

Hyperaldosteronism is a common disease that is closely related to endocrine hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. Cytochrome P450 11 B2(CYP11 B2), an important enzyme in aldosterone(ALD) synthesis, is a promising target for the treatment of hyperaldosteronism. However, selective inhibitors targeting CYP11 B2 are still lacking due to the high similarity with CYP11 B1. In this study,atractylenolide-I(AT-I) was found to significantly reduce the production of ALD but had no effect on cortisol synthesis, which is catalyzed by CYP11 B1. Chemical biology studies revealed that due to the presence of Ala320, AT-I is selectively bound to the catalytic pocket of CYP11 B2, and the C8/C9 double bond of AT-I can be epoxidized, which then undergoes nucleophilic addition with the sulfhydryl group of Cys450 in CYP11 B2. The covalent binding of AT-I disrupts the interaction between heme and CYP11 B2 and inactivates CYP11 B2, leading to the suppression of ALD synthesis;AT-I shows a significant therapeutic effect for improving hyperaldosteronism.

Rod-like mesoporous silica nanoparticles facilitate oral drug delivery via enhanced permeation and retention effect in mucus

The physiochemical characteristics of nanoparticles affect their in vitro and in vivo performance significantly,such as diameter,surface chemistry,and shape.This paper disclosed the effect of enhanced permeation and retention(EPR)in mucus caused by nanoparticle shape on improving oral absorption.The spherical and rod-like mesoporous silica nanoparticles(MSNs)were used to evaluate shape effect of EPR in mucus.Fenofibrate was loaded in MSNs as model drug.The in vitro release of fenofibrate from MSNs was dependent on nanoparticle shapes,but faster than that of raw drug.The drug release slowed down with the increase of aspect ratio due to longer channels in rod-like MSNs with higher aspect ratio.However,in vivo study showed that the oral bioavailability of fenofibrate was the highest after loading in rod-like MSNs with aspect ratio of 5.The in vitro study of mechanisms revealed that superior mucus diffusion ability of rod-like MSNs with aspect ratio of 5 was conductive to higher bioavailability.Meanwhile,more rod-like MSNs with higher aspect ratio were able to diffuse into mucus and reside there compared to spherical and short counterparts,which demonstrated higher aspect ratio was beneficial to EPR effect of nanoparticles in mucus.This study provides significant implication in rational oral drug carrier design.