Attention sports fans! The far-reaching contributions of bud sport mutants to horticulture and plant biology

A bud sport is a lateral shoot,inflorescence or single flower/fruit with a visibly different phenotype from the rest of the plant.The new phenotype is often caused by a stable somatic mutation in a single cell that is passed on to its clonal descendants and eventually populates part or all of a meristem.In many cases,a bud sport can be vegetatively propagated,thereby preserving the novel phenotype without sexual reproduction.Bud sports provide new characteristics while retaining the desirable qualities of the parent plant,which is why many bud sports have been developed into popular cultivars.We present an overview of the history of bud sports,the causes and methods of detecting somaclonal variation,and the types of mutant phenotypes that have arisen spontaneously.We focus on examples where the molecular or cytological changes causing the phenotype have been identified.Analysis of these sports has provided valuable insight into developmental processes,gene function and regulation,and in some cases has revealed new information about layer-specific roles of some genes.Examination of the molecular changes causing a phenotype and in some cases reversion back to the original state has contributed to our understanding of the mechanisms that drive genomic evolution.

Preparation of lactic acid bacteria compound starter cultures based on pasting properties and its improvement of glutinous rice flour and dough

The effects of 5 lactic acid bacteria(LAB)fermentation on the pasting properties of glutinous rice flour were compared,and suitable fermentation strains were selected based on the changes of viscosity,setback value,and breakdown value to prepare LAB compound starter cultures.The results revealed that Latilactobacillus sakei HSD004 and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus HSD005 had apparent advantages in increasing the viscosity and reducing the setback and breakdown values of glutinous rice flour.In particular,the compound starter created using the two abovementioned LAB in the ratio of 3:1 had better performance than that using a single LAB in improving the pasting properties and increasing the water and oil absorption capacity of glutinous rice flour.Moreover,the gelatinization enthalpy of the fermented samples increased significantly.For frozen glutinous rice dough stored for 28 days,the viscoelasticity of frozen dough prepared by compound starter was better than that of control dough,and the freezable water content was lower than that of control dough.These results indicate that compound LAB fermentation is a promising technology in the glutinous rice-based food processing industry,which has significance for its application.

Debris Fan Produced by Failure of Canyon-Blocking Pyroclastic Flows

Ash-rich pyroclastic flows from the cataclysmic eruption of Mount Mazama (~7700 yr. B. P.), Cascade volcanic arc, Oregon, entered and blocked the narrow, bedrock-lined canyon of the Williamson River approximately 35 to 44 km from the source volcano. The blockage impounded a body of water which then released producing four stratigraphic units in the downstream debris fan. The four stratigraphic units are a boulder core comprised of locally sourced bedrock boulders and three sand-rich units including a fine-grained sand unit, a sandy pumice gravel (±basalt/hydrovolcanic tuff) unit, and a pumice pebble-bearing, crystal-rich sand unit. Hand-drilled auger holes up to ~1.6 m deep were used to obtain samples of the sand-rich units. Units were delimited using surface and down-hole observations, composition and texture, estimated density, statistical parameters of grain size, and vertical and lateral distribution of properties. Overtopping followed by rapid incision into the ash-rich pyroclastic flows progressively cleared the canyon, but a bedrock knickpoint near the head of the canyon limited the volume of debris available for transport to about 0.04 km3 to 0.08 km3. Co-deposition of bedrock boulders and lithic-rich sand was followed by rapid deposition with minimal reworking of remobilized pyroclastics. Continued draining of the impounded lake sent hyperconcentrated flows onto the debris fan depositing pumice-rich gravels that graded upward to crystal-rich sands.

The Transformation and Governance of Urban Villages with Historic Culture:A Case Study of Xiaxifang,Yongfeng County,Ji'an City,Jiangxi Province

The transformation and governance of urban villages with historic culture is faced with difficulties such as lack of attention and large-scale demolition and construction,which is not conducive to the continuation of urban characteristic culture.Taking Xiaxifang,Yongfeng County,Ji'an City,Jiangxi Province for example,this study explored the transformation and governance of urban villages with historic culture from the perspectives of spatial structure,urban function,infrastructure,ecological environment,and community governance,so as to provide a reference for the research and practice of urban villages with historic culture.

Anticancer Activity of Rice Callus Suspension Cultures from Aromatic Varieties and Metabolites Regulated in Treated Cancer Cell Lines

Tissue culture techniques were used to produce large amounts of bioactive compounds with medicinal potential, overcoming space and time constraints for cancer prevention. Rice callus suspension cultures(RCSC) and seed extracts prepared from aromatic rice varieties were used to evaluate the cytotoxic impact on human colon and lung cancer cell lines, as well as a normal control cell line, using Taxol as a positive control. RCSC and seed extracts from two Indian aromatic rice varieties were applied at different concentrations to treat the cancer cell lines and normal lung fibroblasts over varying time intervals. Apoptosis was assessed in 1:5 dilutions of the A549 and HT-29 cell lines treated with RCSC for 72 h, using propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry. RCSC showed a more potent cytotoxic effect than seed extracts with minimal effect on the normal cell line, in contrast to Taxol. Confocal microscopy and flow cytometry further confirmed the apoptotic effect of RCSC. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolic profiling identified metabolites involved in cytotoxicity and highlighted altered pathways. RCSC is proposed as an alternative source for the development of novel anticancer drugs with reduced side effects.

广义的Ky Fan定理

矩阵行列式是矩阵分析学中一个很重要的分支,利用矩阵外代数,可以把行列式的计算转换成矩阵的迹算子。首先,从典型的Ky Fan定理出发,给出了该定理的一个等价形式,并且利用Brunn-Minkowski不等式给出了定理的证明。其次,利用凸函数的性质,得到了Ky Fan定理的一个更一般的表示形式。

The Middle Miocene lobe-shaped and band-shaped submarine fans in the Lingshui Sag,Qiongdongnan Basin:source-to-sink system,genesis and implication

Deepwater oil and gas exploration is the key to sustainable breakthroughs in petroleum exploration worldwide.The Central Canyon gas field has confirmed the Lingshui Sag is a hydrocarbon-generating sag,and the deepwater reservoirs in the Lingshui Sag still have more fabulous oil and gas exploration potential.Based on drilling data and three-dimensional(3D)seismic data,this paper uses seismic facies analysis,seismic attribute analysis,and coherence slice analysis to identify the types of submarine fans(lobe-shaped and band-shaped submarine fans)that developed in the Lingshui Sag during the Middle Miocene,clarify the source-to-sink system of the submarine fans and discuss the genesis mechanism of the submarine fans.The results show that:(1)the deepwater source-to-sink system of the Lingshui Sag in the Middle Miocene mainly consisted of a“delta(sediment supply)-submarine canyon(sediment transport channel)-submarine fan(deepwater sediment sink)”association;(2)the main factor controlling the formation of the submarine fans developed in the Lingshui Sag was on the relative sea level decline;and(3)the bottom current reworked the lobe-shaped submarine fan that developed in the northern Lingshui Sag and formed the band-shaped submarine fan with a greater sand thickness.This paper aims to provide practical geological knowledge for subsequent petroleum exploration and development in the deepwater area of the Qiongdongnan Basin through a detailed analysis of the Middle Miocene submarine fan sedimentary system developed in the Lingshui Sag.

Investigation of the Acceptability of Cultured Meat in University Students

Background: Over the past 20 years, cultured meat has drawn a lot of public attention as a potential solution to issues with animal husbandry, including inadequate use of natural sources, improper animal welfare practices, and possible risks to public health and safety. The novel method of producing meat through culture reduces the need for animals to produce muscle fiber, thereby obviating the necessity for animal slaughter. Apart from its ethical advantages, cultured meat presents a possible way to fulfill the expanding need for food among growing populations. The purpose of this research was to find out whether Turkish students would be willing to pay for and accept cultured meat. Technique: Method: 371 university students who willingly consented to fill out a questionnaire and provide demographic data make up the research sample. Questions from previous studies on the acceptability of cultured meat were compiled to create the survey. The research’s data collection took place in March and April of 2022. The research was completed in June 2022 after the data had been processed and analyzed. Results: The results showed that the majority of participants were female and had omnivorous eating habits. Based on the results of the Bonferroni correction test, students with a higher intention to purchase and consume cultured meat were those who received economics and business education. Students with two years of university education had a higher overall survey score than those with four years of education (p < 0.05). Furthermore, it is discovered that there is a negative correlation between the participants’ ages and their Factor 2 (using cultured meat as an alternative to industrial meat) and Factor 3 (consuming and purchasing it) section points (r = -109, p = 0.036) (r = -0.121, p = 0.019). In conclusion, university students generally have a negative outlook on health-related issues, such as eating cultured meat as an alternative.

World Wide Web The Fantastic Resource for Target Culture Teaching in ESL Classroom

In this paper, a WWW hot list which might be helpful in target culture teaching is provided and a sample lesson is given to illustrate the uses of WWW as great resources in culture teaching in ESL classroom.

双星图的LI矩阵的Ky Fan k-范数

树是连通的无圈图,研究树的拉普拉斯矩阵具有重要的图论和实际意义.设G是一个有n个点和m个边的图,A(G)和D(G)分别是图G的邻接矩阵和对角度矩阵,那么G的拉普拉斯矩阵定义为L(G)=D(G)-A(G).LI矩阵定义为LI(G)=L(G)-(2m/n)I_(n),其中I_(n)是单位矩阵.图的LI矩阵的Ky Fan k-范数代表了拉普拉斯特征值和拉普拉斯特征值平均值之间距离的有序和.研究了双星图的LI矩阵的Ky Fan k-范数,证明了双星图的LI矩阵的Ky Fan k-范数满足文献[6]中提出的猜想.

The Philosophy of He(和):Examined from the Perspectives of Technology and Culture

Pre-modern Chinese crafts,such as iron smelting,cookery,medicine,and the production of vehicles,bows,and arrows indicate the traditional Chinese view of technology as being organic,holistic,and comprehensive.This view of technology is guided by the concept of he(和)and employs the means and methods of he,thus achieving the purport of he.In Chinese,the character he(和)possesses positive connotations.It originated from the meaning of"to season;to add flavoring to"(调和)and that of flavors being"perfectly harmonious"(和美).From this sensory experience,he gradually extended to the abstract levels of materiality,humanity,sociality,"order"(wei位),and "power,situation,force"(shi势).Finally,he was elevated to the supreme level of"qi of great harmony"(taihe zhi qi太和之气),which is comparable to the concept of dao(道).The philosophy of he has exerted wide impact on such areas as technology,art,national character,cultural psychology,and behavior patterns,and has become an integral part of China's inherent culture.The paradoxes and deviations of he hold their own profound philosophical implications that merit further exploration.As humanity confronts significant challenges,such as how we can coexist with others,with technology,and with nature,the ancient Eastern wisdom embodied in he continues to possess practical characteristics and value.

Effects of Different Culture Conditions and Growth States on the Structure and Hemostatic Properties of Coscinodiscus sp.

As a renewable marine inorganic material,Coscinodiscus sp.has significant potential in the field of rapid hemostasis.However,the low yield of Coscinodiscus sp.seriously limits the application.In this study,two new culture modes were adopted to increase the production of Coscinodiscus sp.,the effect of changes in culture conditions and growth status on the hemostatic activity of diatoms was detected.To prevent Coscinodiscus sp.from sinking in culture,the suspension culture mode was realized by adding0.5%agar.The semi-continuous high nutrient concentration culture mode increased the cell density of Coscinodiscus sp.to 11000cells mL^(-1)and shorten the culture cycle to 5 d.In terms of coagulation activity,the addition of frustules reduced the in vitro coagulation time by half and the activation time of coagulation by 70%.The hemolysis rate and cytotoxicity of frustules harvested in the two culture modes did not change significantly.The results showed that suspension culture mode and high nutrient concentration culture mode only changed the growth state of Coscinodiscus sp.,while the hemostatic performance remained stable.

Current status and challenges for cell-cultured milk technology: a systematic review

Cellular agriculture is an innovative technology for manufacturing sustainable agricultural products as an alternative to traditional agriculture.While most cellular agriculture is predominantly centered on the production of cultured meat,there is a growing demand for an understanding of the production techniques involved in dairy products within cellular agriculture.This review focuses on the current status of cellular agriculture in the dairy sector and technical challenges for cell-cultured milk production.Cellular agriculture technology in the dairy sector has been classified into fermentation-based and animal cell culture-based cellular agriculture.Currently,various companies synthesize milk components through precision fermentation technology.Nevertheless,several startup companies are pursuing animal cell-based technology,driven by public concerns regarding genetically modified organisms in precision fermentation technology.Hence,this review offers an up-to-date exploration of animal cell-based cellular agriculture to produce milk components,specifically emphasizing the structural,functional,and productive aspects of mammary epithelial cells,providing new information for industry and academia.

MACS-W:A modified optical clearing agent for imaging 3D cell cultures

Three-dimensional(3D)cell cultures have contributed to a variety of biological research fields by filling the gap between monolayers and animal models.The modern optical sectioning microscopic methods make it possible to probe the complexity of 3D cell cultures but are limited by the inherent opaqueness.While tissue optical clearing methods have emerged as powerful tools for investigating whole-mount tissues in 3D,they often have limitations,such as being too harsh for fragile 3D cell cultures,requiring complex handling protocols,or inducing tissue deformation with shrinkage or expansion.To address this issue,we proposed a modified optical clearing method for 3D cell cultures,called MACS-W,which is simple,highly efficient,and morphology-preserving.In our evaluation of MACS-W,we found that it exhibits excellent clearing capability in just 10 min,with minimal deformation,and helps drug evaluation on tumor spheroids.In summary,MACS-W is a fast,minimally-deformative and fluorescence compatible clearing method that has the potential to be widely used in the studies of 3D cell cultures.

Coupling relationship and genetic mechanisms of shelf-edge delta and deep-water fan source-to-sink:A case study in Paleogene Zhuhai Formation in south subsag of Baiyun Sag,Pearl River Mouth Basin,China

The coupling relationship between shelf-edge deltas and deep-water fan sand bodies is a hot and cutting-edge field of international sedimentology and deep-water oil and gas exploration.Based on the newly acquired high-resolution 3D seismic,logging and core data of Pearl River Mouth Basin(PRMB),this paper dissected the shelf-edge delta to deep-water fan(SEDDF)depositional system in the Oligocene Zhuhai Formation of Paleogene in south subsag of Baiyun Sag,and revealed the complex coupling relationship from the continental shelf edge to deep-water fan sedimentation and its genetic mechanisms.The results show that during the deposition of the fourth to first members of the Zhuhai Formation,the scale of the SEDDF depositional system in the study area showed a pattern of first increasing and then decreasing,with deep-water fan developed in the third to first members and the largest plane distribution scale developed in the late stage of the second member.Based on the development of SEDDF depositional system along the source direction,three types of coupling relationships are divided,namely,deltas that are linked downdip to fans,deltas that lack downdip fans and fans that lack updip coeval deltas,with different depositional characteristics and genetic mechanisms.(1)Deltas that are linked downdip to fans:with the development of shelf-edge deltas in the shelf area and deep-water fans in the downdip slope area,and the strong source supply and relative sea level decline are the two key factors which control the development of this type of source-to-sink(S2S).The development of channels on the continental shelf edge is conducive to the formation of this type of S2S system even with weak source supply and high sea level.(2)Deltas that lack downdip fans:with the development of shelf edge deltas in shelf area,while deep water fans are not developed in the downdip slope area.The lack of“sources”and“channels”,and fluid transformation are the three main reasons for the formation of this type of S2S system.(3)Fans that lack updip coeval deltas:with the development of deep-water fans in continental slope area and the absence of updip coeval shelf edge deltas,which is jointly controlled by the coupling of fluid transformation at the shelf edge and the“channels”in the continental slope area.

Effects of desert plant communities on soil enzyme activities and soil organic carbon in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain in Ningxia,China

It is of great significance to study the effects of desert plants on soil enzyme activities and soil organic carbon(SOC)for maintaining the stability of the desert ecosystem.In this study,we studied the responses of soil enzyme activities and SOC fractions(particulate organic carbon(POC)and mineral-associated organic carbon(MAOC))to five typical desert plant communities(Convolvulus tragacanthoides,Ephedra rhytidosperma,Stipa breviflora,Stipa tianschanica var.gobica,and Salsola laricifolia communities)in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,China.We recorded the plant community information mainly including the plant coverage and herb and shrub species,and obtained the aboveground biomass and plant species diversity through sample surveys in late July 2023.Soil samples were also collected at depths of 0–10 cm(topsoil)and 10–20 cm(subsoil)to determine the soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities.The results showed that the plant coverage and aboveground biomass of S.laricifolia community were significantly higher than those of C.tragacanthoides,S.breviflora,and S.tianschanica var.gobica communities(P<0.05).Soil enzyme activities varied among different plant communities.In the topsoil,the enzyme activities of alkaline phosphatase(ALP)andβ-1,4-glucosidas(βG)were significantly higher in E.rhytidosperma and S.tianschanica var.gobica communities than in other plant communities(P<0.05).The topsoil had higher POC and MAOC contents than the subsoil.Specifically,the content of POC in the topsoil was 18.17%–42.73%higher than that in the subsoil.The structural equation model(SEM)indicated that plant species diversity,soil pH,and soil water content(SWC)were the main factors influencing POC and MAOC.The soil pH inhibited the formation of POC and promoted the formation of MAOC.Conversely,SWC stimulated POC production and hindered MAOC formation.Our study aimed to gain insight into the effects of desert plant communities on soil enzyme activities and SOC fractions,as well as the drivers of SOC fractions in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain and other desert ecosystems.

Happiness and harmony through health culture diplomacy as integrative maternal-child health nursing

For this editorial,our colleague Dr.Naeema Hasan Al Qasseer,former World Health Organization(WHO)Senior Scientist of Nursing and Midwifery joins me to add her wisdom and experience on the topic of integrative maternal-child health nursing.

Comparative Study of the Widal Test against Stool Culture in the Diagnosis of Suspected Cases of Typhoid Fever in Some Low Income Communities in the Adamawa Region of Cameroon

Introduction: Infectious diseases constitute a major concern of public health in developing countries. Facilities and well trained staff have been shown to be one of the major obstacles in the rapid and quality diagnosis of these diseases. As such, we carried out an analysis to compare the Widal test and stool culture to identify febrile patients with Salmonella infection. Method: A cross sectional study was conducted to diagnose salmonella infection with out-patients who demonstrated signs of salmonella infection. Serum was harvested from blood collected from 368 (Vina = 234, Mayo Banyo 65, and Djerem = 69) patients accompanied by stool, Widal test was conducted on the spot and stool was taken to a reference laboratory for culture using standard microbiological methods, sociological set up was calculated in percentages, prevalence was calculated using excel while statistical difference was calculated using SPSS. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated to compare the Widal test against stool culture. Results: A total of 368 (50.8% females and 49.2% males) participants took part in the survey. Salmonella prevalence (66.24%) in stool culture in the Vina division was significantly different (p 0.05). The sensitivity,specificity, PPV, and NPV of slide agglutination test against stool culture varied from different areas (Vina: 51.6%, 73.62%, 79.21% and 43.61%;Mayo Banyo: 60.53%, 77.78%, 79.31% and 58.33%;Djerem: 53.18%, 83.73% 73.91% and 67.39%) respectively. Slide agglutination test has a fair agreement with the stool culture (kappa, Vina = 0.202;Mayo Banyo = 0.37 and Djerem = 0.38). Conclusion: Generally, in the three areas of study, the Widal test had a fair correlation with the stool culture;This means the Widal test should not be used alone but in combination with stool culture in the detection of salmonella infections.

Historiography and Scientific Research of Religious Buildings of the Cucuteni-Trypillian Culture

The purpose of this article is to reveal the historiography and current state of research related to the cult buildings of the Eneolithic period of the Cucuteni-Trypillian cultural community.The article describes the historical path of archaeological discoveries,from the first Trypillian sanctuaries to the discovery of the largest Nebelivka temple complex in Ukraine in 2012.At the same time,the work partially raises the issue of religious beliefs of the ancient farmers of Central Europe in connection with the discovery of their sacred buildings.Since special scientific works have not comprehensively addressed this issue and are still fragmentary in nature,it is important at the present stage of research to make some coverage and systematization of existing materials on this issue.