Industrial Carbon Emission Distribution and Regional Joint Emission Reduction:A Case Study of Cities in the Pearl River Basin,China

China’s low-carbon development path will make significant contributions to achieving global sustainable development goals.Due to the diverse natural and economic conditions across different regions in China,there exists an imbalance in the distribution of car-bon emissions.Therefore,regional cooperation serves as an effective means to attain low-carbon development.This study examined the pattern of carbon emissions and proposed a potential joint emission reduction strategy by utilizing the industrial carbon emission intens-ity(ICEI)as a crucial factor.We utilized social network analysis and Local Indicators of Spatial Association(LISA)space-time trans-ition matrix to investigate the spatiotemporal connections and discrepancies of ICEI in the cities of the Pearl River Basin(PRB),China from 2010 to 2020.The primary drivers of the ICEI were determined through geographical detectors and multi-scale geographically weighted regression.The results were as follows:1)the overall ICEI in the Pearl River Basin is showing a downward trend,and there is a significant spatial imbalance.2)There are numerous network connections between cities regarding the ICEI,but the network structure is relatively fragile and unstable.3)Economically developed cities such as Guangzhou,Foshan,and Dongguan are in the center of the network while playing an intermediary role.4)Energy consumption,industrialization,per capita GDP,urbanization,science and techno-logy,and productivity are found to be the most influential variables in the spatial differentiation of ICEI,and their combination in-creased the explanatory power of the geographic variation of ICEI.Finally,through the analysis of differences and connections in urban carbon emissions under different economic levels and ICEI,the study suggests joint carbon reduction strategies,which are centered on carbon transfer,financial support,and technological assistance among cities.

Effects of excess high-normal alanine aminotransferase levels in relation to new-onset metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease:Clinical implications

In this editorial,we comment on the article by Chen et al recently published in 2024.We focus the debate on whether reducing the upper limit of normal of alanine aminotransferase(ALT)would effectively identify cases of fibrosis in metabolic-dysfunction associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD).This is important given the increasing prevalence of MAFLD and obesity globally.Currently,a suitable screening test to identify patients in the general population does not exist and most patients are screened after the finding of an abnormal ALT.The authors of this paper challenge the idea of what a normal ALT is and whether that threshold should be lowered,particularly as their study found that 83.12%of their study population with a diagnosis of MAFLD had a normal ALT.The main advantages of screening would be to identify patients and provide intervention early,the mainstay of this being changing modifiable risk factors and monitoring for liver fibrosis.However,there is not enough suitable therapeutic options available as of yet although this is likely to change in the coming years with more targets for therapy being discovered.Semaglutide is one example of this which has demonstrated benefit with an acceptable side effect profile for those patients with MAFLD and obesity,although studies have not yet shown a significant improvement in fibrosis regression.It would also require a huge amount of resource if a reduced ALT level alone was used as criteria;it is more likely that current scoring systems such as fibrosis-4 may be amended to represent this additional risk.Currently,there is not a good argument to recommend wide-spread screening with a reduced ALT level as this is unlikely to be cost-effective.This is compounded by the fact that there is a significant heterogeneity in what is considered a normal ALT between laboratories.Although studies previously have suggested a more pragmatic approach in screening those over the age of 60,this is likely to change with the increasing incidence of obesity within the younger age groups.The main message from this study is that those who have hypercholesterolemia and high body metabolic index should have these risk factors modified to maintain a lower level of ALT to reduce the risk of progression to fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Identification of SSR markers linked to the abscission of cotton boll traits and mining germplasm in Cotton

Background Cotton is an economically important crop.It is crucial to find an effective method to improve cotton yield,and one approach is to decrease the abscission of cotton bolls and buds.However,the lack of knowledge of the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying cotton boll abscission traits has hindered genetic improvements.Results Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between boll abscission rates 1(AR1)and boll abscission rates 2(AR2).A genome-wide association study was conducted on 145 loci that exhibited high polymorphism and were uniformly distributed across 26 chromosomes(pair).The study revealed 18,46,and 62 markers that were significantly associated with boll abscission,fiber quality,and yield traits(P<0.05),explaining 1.75%–7.13%,1.16%–9.58%,and 1.40%–5.44%of the phenotypic variation,respectively.Notably,the marker MON_SHIN-1584b was associated with the cotton boll abscission trait,whereas MON_CGR5732a was associated with cotton boll abscission and fiber quality traits.Thirteen of the marker loci identified in this study had been previously reported.Based on phenotypic effects,six typical cultivars with elite alleles related to cotton boll abscission,fiber quality,and yield traits were identified.These cultivars hold great promise for widespread utilization in breeding programs.Conclusions These results lay the foundation for understanding the molecular regulatory mechanism of cotton boll abscission and provide data for the future improvement of cotton breeding.

Unveiling DNA methylation in Alzheimer’s disease:a review of array-based human brain studies

The intricacies of Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis are being increasingly illuminated by the exploration of epigenetic mechanisms,particularly DNA methylation.This review comprehensively surveys recent human-centered studies that investigate whole genome DNA methylation in Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology.The examination of various brain regions reveals distinctive DNA methylation patterns that associate with the Braak stage and Alzheimer’s disease progression.The entorhinal cortex emerges as a focal point due to its early histological alterations and subsequent impact on downstream regions like the hippocampus.Notably,ANK1 hypermethylation,a protein implicated in neurofibrillary tangle formation,was recurrently identified in the entorhinal cortex.Further,the middle temporal gyrus and prefrontal cortex were shown to exhibit significant hypermethylation of genes like HOXA3,RHBDF2,and MCF2L,potentially influencing neuroinflammatory processes.The complex role of BIN1 in late-onset Alzheimer’s disease is underscored by its association with altered methylation patterns.Despite the disparities across studies,these findings highlight the intricate interplay between epigenetic modifications and Alzheimer’s disease pathology.Future research efforts should address methodological variations,incorporate diverse cohorts,and consider environmental factors to unravel the nuanced epigenetic landscape underlying Alzheimer’s disease progression.

Analysis of the joint detection capability of the SMILE satellite and EISCAT-3D radar

The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)satellite is a small magnetosphere–ionosphere link explorer developed cooperatively between China and Europe.It pioneers the use of X-ray imaging technology to perform large-scale imaging of the Earth’s magnetosheath and polar cusp regions.It uses a high-precision ultraviolet imager to image the overall configuration of the aurora and monitor changes in the source of solar wind in real time,using in situ detection instruments to improve human understanding of the relationship between solar activity and changes in the Earth’s magnetic field.The SMILE satellite is scheduled to launch in 2025.The European Incoherent Scatter Sciences Association(EISCAT)-3D radar is a new generation of European incoherent scatter radar constructed by EISCAT and is the most advanced ground-based ionospheric experimental device in the high-latitude polar region.It has multibeam and multidirectional quasi-real-time three-dimensional(3D)imaging capabilities,continuous monitoring and operation capabilities,and multiple-baseline interferometry capabilities.Joint detection by the SMILE satellite and the EISCAT-3D radar is of great significance for revealing the coupling process of the solar wind–magnetosphere–ionosphere.Therefore,we performed an analysis of the joint detection capability of the SMILE satellite and EISCAT-3D,analyzed the period during which the two can perform joint detection,and defined the key scientific problems that can be solved by joint detection.In addition,we developed Web-based software to search for and visualize the joint detection period of the SMILE satellite and EISCAT-3D radar,which lays the foundation for subsequent joint detection experiments and scientific research.

Sedimentological evidence of climate-tectonic interaction in the upper Satluj catchment of NW Himalaya

Quaternary valley fill deposits in the Upper Satluj Valley of NW Himalaya act as archives of changing climate-tectonic dynamics in a region.Quaternary landforms help in decoding the relationship between climate and tectonics.Kinnaur region is traversed by several active faults and thrusts such as the Kaurik-Chango Fault(KCF)and Sangla Detachment(SD),thereby making upper Satluj Valley tectonically active.Morphotectonic parameters such as width of valley floor(Vfw),Normalized Steepness Index(KSn)and geomorphological evidences such as the presence of huge strath terraces,narrowing of the river valley and palaeolake deposits point towards the tectonically active nature of the terrain.This arid,high elevation region is also climatically sensitive as it falls in a transient climatic zone which receives rainfall only during abnormal monsoon months.Excessive rainfall causes outburst floods,a common phenomenon in the area due to the blocking of headwater in the upper reaches of the Satluj valley.As a result,the Quaternary sequence is modified from time to time.The transition from hypo concentrated deposits to channel deposits and ponding events are prominent in the depositional sequence,resulting from a response to climate.The studied Quaternary sediments reveal that the Trans-Himalayan region of the upper Satluj valley is affected by tectonic-climate variability,making it vulnerable to geohazards.

Quantitative assessment of self-management in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: An unmet clinical need

In this editorial we comment on the article titled“Establishment and validation of an adherence prediction system for lifestyle interventions in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease”by Zeng et al published in a recent issue of the World Journal of Gastroenterology.Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)represents one of the current challenges in hepatology and public health,due to its continuous growing prevalence and the rising incidence of NAFLD-related fibrosis,non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and cirrhosis.The only effective therapeutic strategy for this dis-ease is represented by encouraging patients to improve their lifestyle through the modification of dietary intake and increased physical exercise,but the effective application of such modifications is often limited by various factors such as lack of information,psychological barriers or poor social support.While poor adherence to a healthy lifestyle can be decisive in determining the clinical outcome,in daily practice there is a lack of quantitative instruments aimed at identifying patients with the lowest adherence to lifestyle changes and higher risk of disease progre-ssion in the course of follow-up.In this article,Zeng et al propose a quantitative scale to assess the grade of adherence of patients with NAFLD to hea-lthy lifestyle intervention,called the Exercise and Diet Adherence Scale(EDAS).This scale,consisting of 33 items divided into 6 dimensions which relates to six subjective aspects in the self-management of NAFLD,has shown a good correlation with the identification of the sub-cohort of patients with the highest reduction in caloric intake,increase in physical exercise,probability of a reduction in liver stiffness measurement and alanine aminotransferase levels.The cor-relation among clinical outcomes and specific dimensions of this scale also highlights the pivotal role of a good and confidential doctor-patient relationship and of an effective communication.There is an urgent need for practical and effective instruments to assess the grade of self-management of NAFLD patients,together with the development of multidisciplinary teams with the aim of applying structured behavioral interventions.

A micro-crosslinked amphoteric hydrophobic association copolymer as high temperature-and salt-resistance fluid loss reducer for water-based drilling fluids

During ultradeep oil and gas drilling,fluid loss reducers are highly important for water-based drilling fluids,while preparing high temperature-and salt-resistance fluid loss reducers with excellent rheology and filtration performance remains a challenge.Herein,a micro-crosslinked amphoteric hydrophobic association copolymer(i.e.,DADC)was synthesized using N,N-dimethyl acrylamide,diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride,2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid,hydrophobic monomer,and pentaerythritol triallyl ether crosslinker.Due to the synergistic effects of hydrogen bonds,electrostatic interaction,hydrophobic association,and micro-crosslinking,the DADC copolymer exhibited outstanding temperature-and salt-resistance.The rheological experiments have shown that the DADC copolymer had excellent shear dilution performance and a certain degree of salt-responsive viscosity-increasing performance.The DADC copolymer could effectively adsorb on the surface of bentonite particles through electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonds,which bring more negative charge to the bentonite,thus improving the hydration and dispersion of bentonite particles as well as the colloidal stability of the drilling fluids.Moreover,the drilling fluids constructed based on the DADC copolymer exhibited satisfactory rheological and filtration properties(FLHTHP=12 m L)after aging at high temperatures(up to200℃)and high salinity(saturated salt)environments.Therefore,this work provided new insights into designing and fabricating high-performance drilling fluid treatment agents,demonstrating good potential applications in deep and ultradeep drilling engineering.

Population genomic analysis reveals key genetic variations and the driving force for embryonic callus induction capability in maize

Genetic transformation has been an effective technology for improving the agronomic traits of maize.However,it is highly reliant on the use of embryonic callus(EC)and shows a serious genotype dependence.In this study,we performed genomic sequencing for 80 core maize germplasms and constructed a high-density genomic variation map using our newly developed pipeline(MQ2Gpipe).Based on the induction rate of EC(REC),these inbred lines were categorized into three subpopulations.The low-REC germplasms displayed more abundant genetic diversity than the high-REC germplasms.By integrating a genome-wide selective signature screen and region-based association analysis,we revealed 95.23 Mb of selective regions and 43 REC-associated variants.These variants had phenotypic variance explained values ranging between 21.46 and 49.46%.In total,103 candidate genes were identified within the linkage disequilibrium regions of these REC-associated loci.These genes mainly participate in regulation of the cell cycle,regulation of cytokinesis,and other functions,among which MYB15 and EMB2745 were located within the previously reported QTL for EC induction.Numerous leaf area-associated variants with large effects were closely linked to several REC-related loci,implying a potential synergistic selection of REC and leaf size during modern maize breeding.

Epistasis-aware genome-wide association studies provide insights into the efficient breeding of high-yield and high-quality rice

Marker-assisted selection(MAS)and genomic selection(GS)breeding have greatly improved the efficiency of rice breeding.Due to the influences of epistasis and gene pleiotropy,ensuring the actual breeding effect of MAS and GS is still a difficult challenge to overcome.In this study,113 indica rice varieties(V)and their 565 testcross hybrids(TC)were used as the materials to investigate the genetic basis of 12 quality traits and nine agronomic traits.The original traits and general combining ability of the parents,as well as the original traits and midparent heterosis of TC,were subjected to genome-wide association analysis.In total,381 primary significantly associated loci(SAL)and 1,759 secondary SALs that had epistatic interactions with these primary SALs were detected.Among these loci,322 candidate genes located within or nearby the SALs were screened,204 of which were cloned genes.A total of 39 MAS molecular modules that are beneficial for trait improvement were identified by pyramiding the superior haplotypes of candidate genes and desirable epistatic alleles of the secondary SALs.All the SALs were used to construct genetic networks,in which 91 pleiotropic loci were investigated.Additionally,we estimated the accuracy of genomic prediction in the parent V and TC by incorporating either no SALs,primary SALs,secondary SALs or epistatic effect SALs as covariates.Although the prediction accuracies of the four models were generally not significantly different in the TC dataset,the incorporation of primary SALs,secondary SALs,and epistatic effect SALs significantly improved the prediction accuracies of 5(26%),3(16%),and 11(58%)traits in the V dataset,respectively.These results suggested that SALs and epistatic effect SALs identified based on an additive genotype can provide considerable predictive power for the parental lines.They also provide insights into the genetic basis of complex traits and valuable information for molecular breeding in rice.

Distribution and dynamics of niche and interspecific association of dominant phytoplankton species in the Feiyun River basin,Zhejiang,China

To investigate the dominant species and interspecific association in the phytoplankton community of the Feiyun River basin in Zhejiang Province,East China,the main stream and the Shanxi Zhaoshandu Reservoir in the downstream were chosen as the study area,for which 22 sampling sites were designated.Sampling was conducted in September 2021,January,May,and July 2022.Phytoplankton species were identified from both quantitative samples and in-vivo observations.Phytoplankton was quantified by direct counting.Results show that there were 98 species belonging to 6 phyla and 78 genera.In addition,to clarify the niches of the dominant phytoplankton species and their interspecific association,the dominance index was calculated,and a comprehensive analysis was conducted including niche width,niche overlap value,ecological response rate,overall association,chi-square test,and the stability.The phytoplankton community exhibited characteristics of a Cyanobacteria-Chlorophyta-Diatom type community,showing higher diversity in spring and lower diversity in summer.Among 11 dominants phytoplankton species from 3 phyla,both frequency and dominance degree varied seasonally,of which Microcystis sp.was the dominant species in Spring,Autumn,and Winter.The niche widths of the dominant species ranged from 0.234 to 0.933,and were categorized into three groups.The niche overlap values of the 11 dominant species ranged from 0.359 to 0.959,exhibiting significant seasonal differences-highest in winter followed by autumn,spring,and summer in turn.The overall correlation among dominant species in all four seasons revealed a non-significant negative association,resulting in an unstable community structure.A significant portion(84.2%)of species pairs displayed positive associations,suggesting a successional pattern where Diatoms dominated while other dominant species shared resources and space.Despite this pattern,stability measurements indicated that the dominant species community remained unstable.Therefore,careful monitoring is recommended for potential water environment issues arising from abnormal proliferation of dominant species in the watershed during winter.This research built a theoretical foundation with a data support to the early warning of eutrophication and provided a reference for water resources management in similar watersheds along the eastern coast of China.

Spatial compartmentalization and temporal stability of associated microbiota in Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas

The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas,one of the most exploited molluscs in the world,has suffered from massive mortality in recent decades,and the occurrence mechanisms have not been well characterized.In this study,to reveal the relationship of associated microbiota to the fitness of oysters,temporal dynamics of microbiota in the gill,hemolymph,and hepatopancreas of C.gigas during April 2018-January 2019 were investigated by 16 S rRNA gene sequencing.The microbiota in C.gigas exhibited tissue heterogeneity,of which Spirochaetaceae was dominant in the gill and hemolymph while Mycoplasmataceae enriched in the hepatopancreas.Co-occurrence network demonstrated that the gill microbiota exhibited higher inter-taxon connectivity while the hemolymph microbiota had more modules.The richness(Chao 1 index)and diversity(Shannon index)of microbial community in each tissue showed no significant seasonal variations,except for the hepatopancreas having a higher richness in the autumn.Similarly,beta diversity analysis indicated a relatively stable microbiota in each tissue during the sampling period,showing relative abundance of the dominant taxa exhibiting temporal dynamics.Results indicate that the microbial community in C.gigas showed a tissue-specific stability with temporal dynamics in the composition,which might be essential for the tissue functioning and environmental adaption in oysters.This work provides a baseline microbiota in C.gigas and is helpful for the understanding of host-microbiota interaction in oysters.

Tree mycorrhizal associations determine how biodiversity,large trees,and environmental factors drive aboveground carbon stock in temperate forests

Biodiversity,large trees,and environmental conditions such as climate and soil have important effects on forest carbon stocks.However,recent studies in temperate forests suggest that the relative importance of these factors depends on tree mycorrhizal associations,whereby large-tree effects may be driven by ectomycorrhizal(EM)trees,diversity effects may be driven by arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM)trees,and environment effects may depend on differential climate and soil preferences of AM and EM trees.To test this hypothesis,we used forest-inventory data consisting of over 80,000 trees from 631 temperate-forest plots(30 m×30 m)across Northeast China to examine how biodiversity(species diversity and ecological uniqueness),large trees(top 1%of tree diameters),and environmental factors(climate and soil nutrients)differently regulate aboveground carbon stocks of AM trees,EM trees,and AM and EM trees combined(i.e.total aboveground carbon stock).We found that large trees had a positive effect on both AM and EM tree carbon stocks.However,biodiversity and environmental factors had opposite effects on AM vs.EM tree carbon stocks.Specifically,the two components of biodiversity had positive effects on AM tree carbon stocks,but negative effects on EM tree carbon stocks.Environmental heterogeneity(mean annual temperature and soil nutrients)also exhibited contrasting effects on AM and EM tree carbon stocks.Consequently,for the total carbon stock,the positive large-tree effect far surpasses the diversity and environment effect.This is mainly because when integrating AM and EM tree carbon stock into total carbon stock,the opposite diversity-effect(also environment-effect)on AM vs.EM tree carbon stock counteracts each other while the consistent positive large-tree effect on AM and EM tree carbon stock is amplified.In summary,this study emphasized a mycorrhizal viewpoint to better understand the determinants of overarching aboveground carbon profile across regional forests.

General and specialized metabolites in peanut roots regulate arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis

Arbuscular mycorrhizae(AM)fungi form symbiotic associations with plant roots,providing nutritional benefits and promoting plant growth and defenses against various stresses.Metabolic changes in the roots during AM fungal colonization are key to understanding the development and maintenance of these symbioses.Here,we investigated metabolic changes in the roots of peanut(Arachis hypogaea L.)plants during the colonization and development of AM symbiosis,and compared them to uncolonized roots.The primary changes during the initial stage of AM colonization were in the contents and compositions of phenylpropanoid and flavonoid compounds.These compounds function in signaling pathways that regulate recognition,interactions,and pre-colonization between roots and AM fungi.Flavonoid compounds decreased by 25%when the symbiosis was fully established compared to the initial colonization stage.After AM symbiosis was established,general metabolism strongly shifted toward the formation of lipids,amino acids,carboxylic acids,and carbohydrates.Lipid compounds increased by 8.5%from the pre-symbiotic stage to well-established symbiosis.Lyso-phosphatidylcholines,which are signaling compounds,were only present in AM roots,and decreased in content after the symbiosis was established.In the initial stage of AM establishment,the content of salicylic acid increased two-fold,whereas jasmonic acid and abscisic acid decreased compared to uncolonized roots.The jasmonic acid content decreased in roots after the symbiosis was well established.AM symbiosis was associated with high levels of calcium,magnesium,and D-(+)-mannose,which stimulated seedling growth.Overall,specific metabolites that favor the establishment of AM symbiosis were common in the roots,primarily during early colonization,whereas general metabolism was strongly altered when AM symbiosis was well-established.In conclusion,specialized metabolites function as signaling compounds to establish AM symbiosis.These compounds are no longer produced after the symbiosis between the roots and AM becomes fully established.

Genetic analysis and candidate gene identification of salt tolerancerelated traits in maize

Soil salinization poses a threat to maize production worldwide,but the genetic mechanism of salt tolerance in maize is not well understood.Therefore,identifying the genetic components underlying salt tolerance in maize is of great importance.In the current study,a teosinte-maize BC2F7 population was used to investigate the genetic basis of 21 salt tolerance-related traits.In total,125 QTLs were detected using a high-density genetic bin map,with one to five QTLs explaining 6.05–32.02%of the phenotypic variation for each trait.The total phenotypic variation explained(PVE)by all detected QTLs ranged from 6.84 to 63.88%for each trait.Of all 125 QTLs,only three were major QTLs distributed in two genomic regions on chromosome 6,which were involved in three salt tolerance-related traits.In addition,10 pairs of epistatic QTLs with additive effects were detected for eight traits,explaining 0.9 to 4.44%of the phenotypic variation.Furthermore,18 QTL hotspots affecting 3–7 traits were identified.In one hotspot(L5),a gene cluster consisting of four genes(ZmNSA1,SAG6,ZmCLCg,and ZmHKT1;2)was found,suggesting the involvement of multiple pleiotropic genes.Finally,two important candidate genes,Zm00001d002090 and Zm00001d002391,were found to be associated with salt tolerance-related traits by a combination of linkage and marker-trait association analyses.Zm00001d002090 encodes a calcium-dependent lipid-binding(CaLB domain)family protein,which may function as a Ca^(2+)sensor for transmitting the salt stress signal downstream,while Zm00001d002391 encodes a ubiquitin-specific protease belonging to the C19-related subfamily.Our findings provide valuable insights into the genetic basis of salt tolerance-related traits in maize and a theoretical foundation for breeders to develop enhanced salt-tolerant maize varieties.

THAPE: A Tunable Hybrid Associative Predictive Engine Approach for Enhancing Rule Interpretability in Association Rule Learning for the Retail Sector

Association rule learning(ARL)is a widely used technique for discovering relationships within datasets.However,it often generates excessive irrelevant or ambiguous rules.Therefore,post-processing is crucial not only for removing irrelevant or redundant rules but also for uncovering hidden associations that impact other factors.Recently,several post-processing methods have been proposed,each with its own strengths and weaknesses.In this paper,we propose THAPE(Tunable Hybrid Associative Predictive Engine),which combines descriptive and predictive techniques.By leveraging both techniques,our aim is to enhance the quality of analyzing generated rules.This includes removing irrelevant or redundant rules,uncovering interesting and useful rules,exploring hidden association rules that may affect other factors,and providing backtracking ability for a given product.The proposed approach offers a tailored method that suits specific goals for retailers,enabling them to gain a better understanding of customer behavior based on factual transactions in the target market.We applied THAPE to a real dataset as a case study in this paper to demonstrate its effectiveness.Through this application,we successfully mined a concise set of highly interesting and useful association rules.Out of the 11,265 rules generated,we identified 125 rules that are particularly relevant to the business context.These identified rules significantly improve the interpretability and usefulness of association rules for decision-making purposes.

Human-like adrenal features in Chinese tree shrews revealed by multi-omics analysis of adrenal cell populations and steroid synthesis

The Chinese tree shrew(Tupaia belangeri chinensis)has emerged as a promising model for investigating adrenal steroid synthesis,but it is unclear whether the same cells produce steroid hormones and whether their production is regulated in the same way as in humans.Here,we comprehensively mapped the cell types and pathways of steroid metabolism in the adrenal gland of Chinese tree shrews using single-cell RNA sequencing,spatial transcriptome analysis,mass spectrometry,and immunohistochemistry.We compared the transcriptomes of various adrenal cell types across tree shrews,humans,macaques,and mice.Results showed that tree shrew adrenal glands expressed many of the same key enzymes for steroid synthesis as humans,including CYP11B2,CYP11B1,CYB5A,and CHGA.Biochemical analysis confirmed the production of aldosterone,cortisol,and dehydroepiandrosterone but not dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in the tree shrew adrenal glands.Furthermore,genes in adrenal cell types in tree shrews were correlated with genetic risk factors for polycystic ovary syndrome,primary aldosteronism,hypertension,and related disorders in humans based on genome-wide association studies.Overall,this study suggests that the adrenal glands of Chinese tree shrews may consist of closely related cell populations with functional similarity to those of the human adrenal gland.Our comprehensive results(publicly available at http://gxmujyzmolab.cn:16245/scAGMap/)should facilitate the advancement of this animal model for the investigation of adrenal gland disorders.

Leveraging the potential of big genomic and phenotypic data for genome-wide association mapping in wheat

Genome-wide association mapping studies(GWAS)based on Big Data are a potential approach to improve marker-assisted selection in plant breeding.The number of available phenotypic and genomic data sets in which medium-sized populations of several hundred individuals have been studied is rapidly increasing.Combining these data and using them in GWAS could increase both the power of QTL discovery and the accuracy of estimation of underlying genetic effects,but is hindered by data heterogeneity and lack of interoperability.In this study,we used genomic and phenotypic data sets,focusing on Central European winter wheat populations evaluated for heading date.We explored strategies for integrating these data and subsequently the resulting potential for GWAS.Establishing interoperability between data sets was greatly aided by some overlapping genotypes and a linear relationship between the different phenotyping protocols,resulting in high quality integrated phenotypic data.In this context,genomic prediction proved to be a suitable tool to study relevance of interactions between genotypes and experimental series,which was low in our case.Contrary to expectations,fewer associations between markers and traits were found in the larger combined data than in the individual experimental series.However,the predictive power based on the marker-trait associations of the integrated data set was higher across data sets.Therefore,the results show that the integration of medium-sized to Big Data is an approach to increase the power to detect QTL in GWAS.The results encourage further efforts to standardize and share data in the plant breeding community.

Genetic Variations and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease:Field Synopsis,Systematic Meta-Analysis,and Epidemiological Evidence

Objective To systematically summarize the published literature on the genetic variants associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD).Methods Literature from Web of Science,PubMed,and Embase between January 1980 and September 2022 was systematically searched.Meta-analyses of the genetic variants were conducted using at least five data sources.The epidemiologic credibility of the significant associations was graded using the Venice criteria.Results Based on literature screening,399 eligible studies were included,comprising 381 candidate gene association,16 genome-wide association,and 2 whole-exome sequencing studies.We identified 465 genetic variants in 173 genes in candidate gene association studies,and 25 genetic variants in 17 genes were included in the meta-analysis.The meta-analysis identified 11 variants in 10 genes that were significantly associated with NAFLD,with cumulative epidemiological evidence of an association graded as strong for two variants in two genes(HFE,TNF),moderate for four variants in three genes(TM6SF2,GCKR,and ADIPOQ),and weak for five variants in five genes(MBOAT7,PEMT,PNPLA3,LEPR,and MTHFR).Conclusion This study identified six variants in five genes that had moderate to strong evidence of an association with NAFLD,which may help understand the genetic architecture of NAFLD risk.

Genome-wide association study of seedling nitrogen-use efficiency-associated traits in common wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)

Nitrogen(N)fertilizer application is essential for crop-plant growth and development.Identifying genetic loci associated with N-use efficiency(NUE)could increase wheat yields and reduce environmental pollution caused by overfertilization.We subjected a panel of 389 wheat accessions to N and chlorate(a nitrate analog)treatments to identify quantitative trait loci(QTL)controlling NUE-associated traits at the wheat seedling stage.Genotyping the panel with a 660K single-nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)array,we identified 397 SNPs associated with N-sensitivity index and chlorate inhibition rate.These SNPs were merged into 49 QTL,of which eight were multi-environment stable QTL and 27 were located near previously reported QTL.A set of 135 candidate genes near the 49 QTL included TaBOX(F-box family protein)and TaERF(ethylene-responsive transcription factor).A Tabox mutant was more sensitive to low-N stress than the wild-type plant.We developed two functional markers for Hap 1,the favorable allele of TaBOX.