How Specific is Non-Hypersensitive Host and Nonhost Resistance of Barley to Rust and Mildew Fungi?

Full nonhost resistance can be defined as immunity, displayed by an entire plant species against all genotypes of a plant pathogen. Interesting biological questions are, whether the genes responsible for the nonhost status of a plant species have a general or a specific effectiveness to heterologous （＂nonhost＂） pathogens？ Is the nonhost resistance to pathogens of plant species that are related to the nonhost based on R-genes or on other types of genes？ We study this question in barley （Hordeum vulgare L.）, which is a near-nonhost to several rusts （Puccinia） of cereals and grasses. By crosses and selection we accumulated susceptibility and developed an experimental line, SusPtrit, with high susceptibility to at least nine different heterologous rust taxa such as the wheat and Agropyron leaf rusts （P. triticina and P. persistens, respectively）. At the microscopic level there is also some variation among barley accessions in the degree that the heterologous wheat powdery mildew （Blumeria graminis f.sp. tritici） is able to form haustoria in epidermal cells. So, also the genetics of the variation in level of nonhost resistance to heterologous mildew fungi can be studied in barley. Our data obtained on mapping populations involving three regular nonhost-immune accessions （Vada, Cebada Capa and Golden Promise） suggest that nonhost resistance is the joined effect of multiple, quantitative genes （QTLs） and very occasionally a major gene （R-gene？） is involved. Most QTLs have effect to only one or two heterologous rusts, but some have a wider spectrum. This was confirmed in a set of QTL-NILs. Those QTL-NILs are used to fine-map the effective genes. In some cases, a QTL region with effectiveness to several heterologous rusts might be a cluster of genes with a more narrow spectrum of effectiveness. Our evidence suggests that nonhost resistance in barley to rust and powdery mildew fungi of related Gramineae is not due to R-genes, but to pathogen species-specific quantitative resistance genes.

Race Specificity of Major Rice Blast Resistance Genes to Magnaporthe grisea Isolates Collected from indica Rice in Guangdong, China

Race-specific resistance and field resistance of 30 rice blast resistance monogenic lines derived from different resources were evaluated. The spectra of resistance to 163 Magnaporthe grisea isolates collected from indica rice in Guangdong Province, China ranged from 0.6% to 89.6%. Most of the monogenic lines showed a narrow resistance spectrum and high susceptibility in rice blast area, whereas the lines with Pikh and Pi1(t) had the broad resistance spectra of 89.6% and 82.2% respectively, showing a high and stable blast resistance in fields. According to the cluster analysis of specific resistance to 163 blast isolates tested, the 30 monogenic lines were divided into 15 groups, and based on the principal factor analysis, nine kinds of race-specific resistance were identified. Pik, Piz5, Pi9 and Pish can be used as candidate resistance genes for rice breeding since their specific resistance differed from those of the backbone parents in Guangdong, China. Gene pyramiding of Pikh [or Pi1(t)], Pi9 (or Piz5) and Pish (or Pita2) will be effective to obtain broad-spectrum blast resistance in rice breeding program in Guangdong, China. The strategies for studying and application of rice blast resistance genes were discussed.

A low specific on-resistance SOI LDMOS with a novel junction field plate

A low specific on-resistance SO1 LDMOS with a novel junction field plate （JFP） is proposed and investigated theo- retically. The most significant feature of the JFP LDMOS is a PP-N junction field plate instead of a metal field plate. The unique structure not only yields charge compensation between the JFP and the drift region, but also modulates the surface electric field. In addition, a trench gate extends to the buffed oxide layer （BOX） and thus widens the vertical conduction area. As a result, the breakdown voltage （BV） is improved and the specific on-resistance （Ron,sp） is decreased significantly. It is demonstrated that the BV of 306 V and the Ron,sp of 7.43 mΩ.cm2 are obtained for the JFP LDMOS. Compared with those of the conventional LDMOS with the same dimensional parameters, the BV is improved by 34.8%, and the Ron,sp is decreased by 56.6% simultaneously. The proposed JFP LDMOS exhibits significant superiority in terms of the trade-off between BV and Ron,sp. The novel JFP technique offers an alternative technique to achieve high blocking voltage and large current capacity for power devices.

Relationship between insulin resistance, obesity and serum prostate-specific antigen levels in healthy men

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between insulin resistance, obesity and serum prostate-specific antigen （PSA） levels in healthy men with serum PSA level below 4 ng mL-1. The men included in the study cohort were 11 827 healthy male employees of the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., LTD who had undergone medical checkups including fasting glucose, fasting insulin and serum PSA between January 2003 and December 2008. Insulin resistance was calculated by homeostasis model assessment （HOMA [fasting glucose × fasting insulin]/22.5） and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index （QUICK/; 1/[log （fasting insulin） ＋ log （fasting glucose）]）. Age-adjusted body mass index （BMI） was significantly increased according to increasing quartile of insulin resistance as determined by HOMA and QUICKI, respectively, in analysis of variance （ANOVA） test and Duncan＇s multiple comparison test （P 〈 0.001）, but age-adjusted serum PSA concentration was significantly decreased according to increasing quartile of insulin resistance as determined by HOMA and QUICK/（P 〈 0.001）. Age, BMI, insulin resistance by HOMA or QUICK/were significantly independent variables to serum PSA level in a multivariate linear regression analysis （P 〈 0.001）. Insulin resistance was a significant independent variable to serum PSA level along with BMI. Insulin resistance and BMI were negatively correlated with serum PSA level in healthy men. Insulin resistance was positively correlated with BMI.

Closed-form breakdown voltage/specific on-resistance model using charge superposition technique for vertical power double-diffused metal–oxide–semiconductor device with high-κ insulator

An improved vertical power double-diffused metal–oxide–semiconductor（DMOS） device with a p-region（P1） and high-κ insulator vertical double-diffusion metal–oxide–semiconductor（HKP-VDMOS） is proposed to achieve a better performance on breakdown voltage（BV）/specific on-resistance（Ron,sp） than conventional VDMOS with a high-κ insulator（CHK-VDMOS）.The main mechanism is that with the introduction of the P-region,an extra electric field peak is generated in the drift region of HKP-VDMOS to enhance the breakdown voltage.Due to the assisted depletion effect of this p-region,the specific on-resistance of the device could be reduced because of the high doping density of the N-type drift region.Meanwhile,based on the superposition of the depleted charges,a closed-form model for electric field/breakdown voltage is generally derived,which is in good agreement with the simulation result within 10% of error.An HKP-VDMOS device with a breakdown voltage of 600 V,a reduced specific on-resistance of 11.5 Ωm·cm^2 and a figure of merit（FOM）（BV^2/Ron,sp）of 31.2 MW·cm^-2 shows a substantial improvement compared with the CHK-VDMOS device.

Ultra-low specific on-resistance vertical double-diffused metal-oxide semiconductor with a high-k dielectric-filled extended trench

An ultra-low specific on-resistance trench gate vertical double-diffused metal-oxide semiconductor with a high-k dielectric-filled extended trench（HK TG VDMOS） is proposed in this paper.The HK TG VDMOS features a high-k（HK） trench below the trench gate.Firstly,the extended HK trench not only causes an assistant depletion of the n-drift region,but also optimizes the electric field,which therefore reduces Ron,sp and increases the breakdown voltage（BV）.Secondly,the extended HK trench weakens the sensitivity of BV to the n-drift doping concentration.Thirdly,compared with the superjunction（SJ） vertical double-diffused metal-oxide semiconductor（VDMOS）,the new device is simplified in fabrication by etching and filling the extended trench.The HK TG VDMOS with BV = 172 V and Ron,sp = 0.85 mΩ·cm2 is obtained by simulation;its Ron,sp is reduced by 67% and 40% and its BV is increased by about 15% and 5%,in comparison with those of the conventional trench gate VDMOS（TG VDMOS） and conventional superjunction trench gate VDMOS（SJ TG CDMOS）.

Dual-gate lateral double-diffused metal—oxide semiconductor with ultra-low specific on-resistance

A new high voltage trench lateral double-diffused metal–oxide semiconductor （LDMOS） with ultra-low specific onresistance （R on,sp ） is proposed. The structure features a dual gate （DG LDMOS）： a planar gate and a trench gate inset in the oxide trench. Firstly, the dual gate can provide a dual conduction channel and reduce R on,sp dramatically. Secondly, the oxide trench in the drift region modulates the electric field distribution and reduces the cell pitch but still can maintain comparable breakdown voltage （BV）. Simulation results show that the cell pitch of the DG LDMOS can be reduced by 50% in comparison with that of conventional LDMOS at the equivalent BV; furthermore, R on,sp of the DG LDMOS can be reduced by 67% due to the smaller cell pitch and the dual gate.

Low specific on-resistance GaN-based vertical heterostructure field effect transistors with nonuniform doping superjunctions

A novel Ga N-based vertical heterostructure field effect transistor（HFET） with nonuniform doping superjunctions（non-SJ HFET） is proposed and studied by Silvaco-ATLAS,for minimizing the specific on-resistance（RonA） at no expense of breakdown voltage（BV）.The feature of non-SJ HFET lies in the nonuniform doping concentration from top to bottom in the n-and p-pillars,which is different from that of the conventional Ga N-based vertical HFET with uniform doping superjunctions（un-SJ HFET）.A physically intrinsic mechanism for the nonuniform doping superjunction（non-SJ） to further reduce RonA at no expense of BV is investigated and revealed in detail.The design,related to the structure parameters of non-SJ,is optimized to minimize the RonA on the basis of the same BV as that of un-SJ HFET.Optimized simulation results show that the reduction in RonA depends on the doping concentrations and thickness values of the light and heavy doping parts in non-SJ.The maximum reduction of more than 51% in RonA could be achieved with a BV of 1890 V.These results could demonstrate the superiority of non-SJ HFET in minimizing RonA and provide a useful reference for further developing the Ga N-based vertical HFETs.

Ultra-low specific on-resistance high-voltage vertical double diffusion metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor with continuous electron accumulation layer

A new ultra-low specific on-resistance （Ron,sp） vertical double diffusion metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect tran- sistor （VDMOS） with continuous electron accumulation （CEA） layer, denoted as CEA-VDMOS, is proposed and its new current transport mechanism is investigated. It features a trench gate directly extended to the drain, which includes two PN junctions. In on-state, the electron accumulation layers are formed along the sides of the extended gate and introduce two continuous low-resistance current paths from the source to the drain in a cell pitch. This mechanism not only dramatically reduces the Ron,sp but also makes the Ron,sp almost independent of the n-pillar doping concentration （Am）. In off-state, the depletion between the n-pillar and p-pillar within the extended trench gate increases the Nn, and further reduces the Ron,sp. Especially, the two PNjunctions within the trench gate support a high gate--drain voltage in the off-state and on-state, re- spectively. However, the extended gate increases the gate capacitance and thus weakens the dynamic performance to some extent. Therefore, the CEA-VDMOS is more suitable for low and medium frequencies application. Simulation indicates that the CEA-VDMOS reduces the Ron,sp by 80% compared with the conventional super-junction VDMOS （CSJ-VDMOS） at the same high breakdown voltage （BV）.

Experimental Study on Fly Ash for Conditioning of Specific Resistance of Sludge Water

Discharge of sludge from water works into waters will result in the increased deterioration of water environment. Therefore, an experimental study was conducted on the addition of conditioning agent to improve sludge dewatering performance. The result shows that coagulation is inadaptable to the treatment of sludge from water works and use of powdered coal ash from power plant as conditioning agent can greatly reduce the specific resistance of sludge and the dewatering performance can be improved. The optimal dosage of fine powdered coal is 20g/100mL and coarse powdered coal is 30g/100mL. Powdered coal is mixed with sludge to form filter cake, which is blended with coal in certain proportion to make into fuel. So that incineration of sludge from water works can be realized.

Hepatitis C virus resistance to new specifically-targeted antiviral therapy: A public health perspective

Until very recently, treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus(HCV) infection has been based on the combination of two non-viral specific drugs: pegylated interferon-α and ribavirin, which is effective in, overall, about 40%-50% of cases. To improve the response to treatment, novel drugs have been designed to specifically block viral proteins. Multiple compounds are under development, and the approval for clinical use of the first of such direct-acting antivirals in 2011(Telaprevir and Boceprevir), represents a milestone in HCV treatment. HCV therapeutics is entering a new expanding era, and a highly-effective cure is envisioned for the first timesince the discovery of the virus in 1989. However, any antiviral treatment may be limited by the capacity of the virus to overcome the selective pressure of new drugs, generating antiviral resistance. Here, we try to provide a basic overview of new treatments, HCV resistance to new antivirals and some considerations derived from a Public Health perspective, using HCV resistance to protease and polymerase inhibitors as examples.

Should We Measure the FEV1 or the Specific Resistance of the Airways? An Evaluation in Patients with Either COPD, Chronic Dyspnea or Chronic Cough

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative contribution of measuring the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) or the specific resistance of the airways (sRaw) in adults referred for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic dyspnea or chronic cough. Methods: This was a prospective study of 321 subjects referred for lung function testing, in a setting of routine clinical management, for suspicion of COPD (or follow-up of known COPD), chronic dyspnea or chronic cough. The proportions of FEV1 values below the normal range and of sRaw values above the normal range were compared using a Chi-square exact test of Fisher. Results: In the COPD and chronic dyspnea groups, sRaw was as frequently abnormal as FEV1. In the chronic cough group, sRaw was increased in 56.5% of subjects, while FEV1 was decreased in solely 34.8% (p = 0.059). Conclusions: This study suggests that sRaw may be a better tool than FEV1 to detect bronchial obstruction in patients presenting with chronic cough.

Novel high- with low specific on-resistance high voltage lateral double-diffused MOSFET

A novel voltage-withstand substrate with high-K（HK, k 〉 3.9, k is the relative permittivity） dielectric and low specific on-resistance（Ron,sp） bulk-silicon, high-voltage LDMOS（HKLR LDMOS）is proposed in this paper. The high-K dielectric and highly doped interface N＋-layer are made in bulk silicon to reduce the surface field drift region. The high-K dielectric can fully assist in depleting the drift region to increase the drift doping concentration（Nd） and reshape the electric field distribution. The highly doped N＋-layer under the high-K dielectric acts as a low resistance path to reduce the Ron,sp. The new device with the high breakdown voltage（BV）, the low Ron,sp, and the excellent figure of merit（FOM = BV^2/Ron,sp） is obtained. The BV of HKLR LDMOS is 534 V, Ron,sp is 70.6 m？·cm^2, and FOM is 4.039 MW·cm^（-2）.

A low specific on-resistance SOI MOSFET with dual gates and a recessed drain

A low specific on-resistance（Ron,sp） integrable silicon-on-insulator（SOI） metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor（MOSFET） is proposed and investigated by simulation.The MOSFET features a recessed drain as well as dual gates,which consist of a planar gate and a trench gate extended to the buried oxide layer（BOX）（DGRD MOSFET）.First,the dual gates form dual conduction channels,and the extended trench gate also acts as a field plate to improve the electric field distribution.Second,the combination of the trench gate and the recessed drain widens the vertical conduction area and shortens the current path.Third,the P-type top layer not only enhances the drift doping concentration but also modulates the surface electric field distributions.All of these sharply reduce Ron,sp and maintain a high breakdown voltage（BV）.The BV of 233 V and Ron,sp of 4.151 mΩ·cm2（VGS = 15 V） are obtained for the DGRD MOSFET with 15-μm half-cell pitch.Compared with the trench gate SOI MOSFET and the conventional MOSFET,Ron,sp of the DGRD MOSFET decreases by 36% and 33% with the same BV,respectively.The trench gate extended to the BOX synchronously acts as a dielectric isolation trench,simplifying the fabrication processes.

An ultra-low specific on-resistance trench LDMOS with a U-shaped gate and accumulation layer

An ultra-low specific on-resistance （Ron,sp） oxide trench-type silicon-on-insulator （SOI） lateral double-diffusion metal-oxide semiconductor （LDMOS） with an enhanced breakdown voltage （BV） is proposed and investigated by simulation. There are two key features in the proposed device： one is a U-shaped gate around the oxide trench, which extends from source to drain （UG LDMOS）; the other is an N pillar and P pillar located in the trench sidewall. In the on-state, electrons accumulate along the U-shaped gate, providing a continuous low resistance current path from source to drain. The Ron,sp is thus greatly reduced and almost independent of the drift region doping concentration. In the off-state, the N and P pillars not only enhance the electric field （E-field） strength of the trench oxide, but also improve the E-field distribution in the drift region, leading to a significant improvement in the BV. The BV of 662 V and Ron,sp of 12.4 mΩ.cm2 are achieved for the proposed UG LDMOS. The BV is increased by 88.6% and the Ron,sp is reduced by 96.4%, compared with those of the conventional trench LDMOS （CT LDMOS）, realizing the state-of-the-art trade-off between BV and Ron,sp.

Effect of composition and structure on specific resistivity of SiC fibers

Four kinds of SiC fibers with different specific resistivities were prepared by the pyrolysis of cured polycarbosilane fiber. The results show that SiC fibers with different specific resistivities can be obtained by changing the curing and pyrolysis conditions. And the free carbon content and the ability to crystallize no longer affect the specific resistivities notably with the time when the fiber is covered with an excess carbon layer, and the fiber has a low specific resistivity. The excess carbon layer in the circular outer part is originated from the re-pyrolysis and deposition of hydrocarbon volatiles. The removal of the carbon by oxidative treatment may affect the surface property and also promote the magnitude of specific resistivity. The influence of the surface property on the specific resistivity can be considerable and should not be neglected.

Upregulated lncRNA PRNT promotes progression and oxaliplatin resistance of colorectal cancer cells by regulating HIPK2 transcription

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is the third most common cancer and a significant cause of cancer-related mortality globally.Resistance to chemotherapy,especially during CRC treatment,leads to reduced effectiveness of drugs and poor patient outcomes.Long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs)have been implicated in various pathophysiological processes of tumor cells,including chemotherapy resistance,yet the roles of many lncRNAs in CRC remain unclear.AIM To identify and analyze the lncRNAs involved in oxaliplatin resistance in CRC and to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms influencing this resistance.METHODS Gene Expression Omnibus datasets GSE42387 and GSE30011 were reanalyzed to identify lncRNAs and mRNAs associated with oxaliplatin resistance.Various bioinformatics tools were employed to elucidate molecular mechanisms.The expression levels of lncRNAs and mRNAs were assessed via quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.Functional assays,including MTT,wound healing,and Transwell,were conducted to investigate the functional implications of lncRNA alterations.Interactions between lncRNAs and trans-cription factors were examined using RIP and luciferase reporter assays,while Western blotting was used to confirm downstream pathways.Additionally,a xenograft mouse model was utilized to study the in vivo effects of lncRNAs on chemotherapy resistance.RESULTS LncRNA prion protein testis specific(PRNT)was found to be upregulated in oxaliplatin-resistant CRC cell lines and negatively correlated with homeodomain interacting protein kinase 2(HIPK2)expression.PRNT was demonstrated to sponge transcription factor zinc finger protein 184(ZNF184),which in turn could regulate HIPK2 expression.Altered expression of PRNT influenced CRC cell sensitivity to oxaliplatin,with overexpression leading to decreased sensitivity and decreased expression reducing resistance.Both RIP and luciferase reporter assays indicated that ZNF184 and HIPK2 are targets of PRNT.The PRNT/ZNF184/HIPK2 axis was implicated in promoting CRC progression and oxaliplatin resistance both in vitro and in vivo.CONCLUSION The study concludes that PRNT is upregulated in oxaliplatin-resistant CRC cells and modulates the expression of HIPK2 by sponging ZNF184.This regulatory mechanism enhances CRC progression and resistance to oxaliplatin,positioning PRNT as a promising therapeutic target for CRC patients undergoing oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy.

Preparation of Polyclonal Antibody against Human MxA Protein and Its Specificity to Diversified Myxovirus Resistant Protein A

Objective To study the human myxovirus resistant protein A （MxA）, a specifically induced peptide by interferon I, and to use its level as a diagnostic criterion for viral infections. Methods Anti-MxA antisera from immunized mice were prepared with the expressed MxA protein of pET32a-MxA in E. coli BL-21（DE3）. To confirm the antiserum activity and specificity, the expression product of BL21, wild type MxA pEGFP-CI-wMxA and site-directed mutant MxA pEGFP-Cl-mMxA（N589S） stably transfected 3T3 cells and induced A549 cells were detected by Western blot with the antisera using non-MxA transfected or non-IFN-[3 induced cells, intact A549, NIH 3T3 cells transfected with pEGFP-CI and pET32a （＋）-transformed BL-21 as controls. Results The antisera had specific positive immunoreactivity to the NIH3T3 cells transformed with pEGFP-CI-wMxA and pEGFP-CI-mMxA, INF-β induced A549 cells and BL21 proteins expressed with pET32a （＋）-MxA. The hybridization signals from IFN-β induced A549 cells depended on the IFN-β inducing concentrations. Meanwhile, immunohistochemical assay showed that NIH 3T3 cells with pEGFP-C 1-wMxA and pEGFP-C 1-mMxA had 〉 98% of positive cells at 1：50 dilution of the serum and A549 cells induced by 20 ng/mL IFN-[3 for 48 h showed 95% positive cells. pEGFP-Cl-transfected NIH 3T3 cells were all negative. Conclusion Anti-sera are highly specific to diversified MxAs. The antibody is detectable by Western blot, immunocytochemistry and immunofluorescence assay.

Review Article: High-Temperature Adult-Plant Resistance, Key for Sustainable Control of Stripe Rust

High-temperature adult-plant (HTAP) resistance expresses when plants grow old and the weather becomes warm. This non-race specific and durable type of resistance has been used successfully in control of wheat stripe rust in the US since early 1960s. This article describes practical procedures for identification and characterization of HTAP resistance and reviews recent studies on discovery of genes conferring HTAP resistance. Recent studies providing insights to the molecular basis for the durability of HTAP resistance will be presented. Strategies for improving levels of HTAP resistance and improving control of stripe rust through combining HTAP resistance with effective all-stage resistance will be discussed.

Analysis of combining ability for stem-related traits and its correlations with lodging resistance heterosis in hybrid wheat

With the application of hybrid wheat, lodging is becoming one of the major factors limiting high yield in its production. However,few studies have focused on combining ability and heterosis analysis of stem-related traits. In this study, 24 crosses were made according to NCII genetic design, using the three(photo-sensitive male sterile lines)×eight(restorer lines) incomplete diallel crosses. The length of basal second internode(LBSI) and breaking strength of basal second internode(BSBSI)as well as other stem-related traits were used to perform the principal component analysis(PCA), combining ability and heterosis analysis. The PCA results showed that the variables could be classified into two main factors, which were named as the positive factor(factor 1) and the negative factor(factor 2), and accounted for 52.3 and 33.2%, respectively, of the total variance in different variables, combined with the analysis for index weight indicated that the factor 1-related traits play positive roles in lodging resistance formation of hybrids. Combining ability variance analysis indicated that its genetic performance was mainly dominated by additive gene effects, and the hybrid combinations with higher lodging resistance can be selected by using of 14 GF6085(R1), 14 GF6343-2(R4), 14 GF6937(R6), 14 GF7433-1(R7), and BS1086(M3),which are with the features with lower general combining ability(GCA) effects of factor 2-related traits whereas higher GCA effects of factor 1-related traits. The heterosis analysis showed that the wide range of heterosis varied with the traits and combinations, and GCA or specific combining ability(SCA) effects of factor 1-related traits except wall thickness of basal second internode(WTBSI) were positively and closely related to the heterosis of lodging resistance. Generally, the correlation coefficients of heterosis to GCA effects of sterile lines(GCAm) of factor 1-related traits are significantly higher than that to GCA of restorer lines(GCAr) and SCA, combined with the higher GCAm variance values of factor 1-related traits compared to GCAr, the GCAm of factor 1-related traits should be particularly considered when breeding hybrid combinations.The heritability analysis showed that the narrow-sense heritability of the diameter of basal second internode(DBSI) and the center of gravity height(TCGH) were obviously lower(<60%) than other traits, suggesting that these two traits were suitable for selection in higher generation for parental breeding. These could provide a theoretical basis for parental breeding and heterosis utilization of lodging resistance.