TaFAR5-TaFAR3 module regulates cuticular wax biosynthesis and drought tolerance in wheat.

Plant cuticular waxes function as a protective barrier to mitigate environmental stresses, especially water deficit, although the molecular mechanisms and natural genetic variations underlying wax accumulation in crops remain unclear. Our genome-wide association study (GWAS) of the contents of cuticular wax components in wheat seedlings demonstrated that allelic variations in TaFAR5, encoding a fatty acyl-CoA reductase, contribute to the differences in leaf cuticular wax accumulation. Molecular and transgenic analyses revealed that variations in the TaFAR5 promoter affect the binding affinity between cis-regulatory elements and several transcription factors, including TaLBD16, TaERF12, TaNAC2, TaWRKY2, TaMYBC1, and TaNAC6, consequently modulating TaFAR5 expression.

The basic leucine zipper transcription factor TabZIP156 interacts with jasmonate ZIM-domain protein TaJAZ3-2A to regulate drought response in wheat.

Drought represents a major abiotic factor that restricts crop yields worldwide. Previous studies have demonstrated that the wheat bZIP transcription factor TabZIP156 plays a vital role in enhancing drought tolerance. However, the drought tolerance mechanism of TabZIP156 in wheat remains unclear.

Topological Scaffold-Based Trispecific Recombinant Protein-Drug Conjugates for Solid Tumor Eradication.

Topology structure of proteins plays vital roles on their bioactivity and property. However, the understanding of how the biological effect of active targeting groups varies with different spatial positions in the recombinant protein scaffold is poor. Here a three trispecific recombinant heterotrimeric proteins and their drug conjugates are reported with a star and linear topology structure prepared by genetically encoded fusion and SpyTag-SpyCatcher technology, which can simultaneously bind the human epidermal growth factor receptor 1 and 2 as well as integrin αβ on the surface of cancer cells.

Association Between Chinese Visceral Adiposity Index and Risk of Incident Hypertension Among Older Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: The Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI), a favorable surrogate index for assessing visceral fat distribution and function, has been proven to be associated with various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, and strokes. Nevertheless, evidence on the association of CVAI with the risk of incident hypertension among older adults is limited.

Aim: This study aimed to explore the association between CVAI and the risk of incident hypertension among older adults.

Widespread increasing negative vegetation sensitivity to phenology reshapes GPP dynamics in alpine grassland.

Satellite evidence indicates a significant phenological changes in alpine vegetation. However, the effect of phenological changes on vegetation gross primary productivity (GPP) is still poorly understood, which limits understanding of climate changes. Here, we analyze the impact of different phenological factors on alpine grassland GPP based on sensitivity coefficient obtained from explainable machine learning.

Efficient and Green Strategy of Ultrasound-Assisted Liquid-Phase Exfoliation of MoS Nanosheets.

Two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (2D MoS) holds significant promise for the development of various photoelectric devices due to its unique atomic thin layer and band gap characteristics. Numerous techniques have made strides in exfoliating 2D MoS nanosheets from their bulk counterparts. However, achieving environmentally benign and efficient preparation of high-quality MoS nanosheets remains challenging.

Research note: Genetic parameters estimation of egg quality traits in Beijing-You chickens.

The Beijing-You chicken, a dual-purpose breed with a long-standing history and robust adaptability, is the only indigenous chicken breed in Beijing, China. Evaluating its egg quality traits is critical for conserving genetic resources and guiding breeding programs. Phenotypic data from two generations of Beijing-You chickens were collected, including 15 traits: egg weight (EWT), eggshell strength (ESS), albumen height (AH), yolk color (YC), yolk weight (YW), eggshell weight (ESW), eggshell-to-egg weight ratio (ESWR), albumen weight (AW), egg shape index (ESI), Haugh unit (HU), albumen-to-egg weight ratio (AWR), yolk-to-albumen weight ratio (YAWR), yolk-to-egg weight ratio (YWR), eggshell translucency (EST), and eggshell freckles (ESF).

Effect of dietary carbohydrate intake on glycaemic control and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Objectives: The aim of this study was to elucidate the dose-response relationship between dietary carbohydrate consumption and the improvement of glycemic control and insulin sensitivity in indi-viduals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), following an intensive dietary intervention.

Methods And Study Design: Randomized controlled trials published up to December 2023 were systematically reviewed from four databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Primary outcomes included: glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting glucose (FG); and secondary outcomes included: BMI, fasting insulin (FI), Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR).

Two new and two known species of the genus Andrássy, 1959 (Nematoda, Dorylaimoidea, Qudsianematidae) from Northeast China.

Two new and two known species of the genus belonging to the family Qudsianematidae are described and illustrated from Northeast China. is characterized by its 1.0-1.

Soil biological health assessment based on exploratory factor analysis.

Soil biological health assessment is an integral component of soil health evaluation, providing crucial insights into soil processes from a biological perspective. However, current soil health assessments primarily rely on soil physical and chemical indicators, lacking standardized methods and framework for incorporating soil biological indicators. We reviewed the development of soil health assessment and proposed a method, which incorporates the 'dimension reduction' of soil health index evaluation system using exploratory factor analysis and the 'scoring' based on cumulative normal distribution function into the soil biological health assessment.

Effects of LMW-GS Allelic Variations at the Locus on Fresh Wet Noodle and Frozen Cooked Noodle Quality.

Low molecular weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GSs) in wheat are critical functional proteins that regulate the processing quality of flour-based products. This study utilized two sets of near-isogenic lines (NILs) derived from the wheat cultivars Zhoumai 22 and Zhoumai 23 to investigate the effects of allelic variations at the locus-specifically -, -, -, -, -, -, and --on protein content, gluten properties, dough farinograph properties, cooking properties of fresh wet noodles (FWNs), and textural properties of FWNs and frozen cooked noodles (FZNs). The results demonstrated that - exhibited superior grain protein content.

Integrating large-scale meta-GWAS and PigGTEx resources to decipher the genetic basis of 232 complex traits in pigs.

Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying complex traits in pigs is crucial for enhancing genetic gain via artificial selection and utilizing pigs as models for human disease and biology. Here, we conducted comprehensive genome-wide association studies (GWAS) followed by a cross-breed meta-analysis for 232 complex traits and a within-breed meta-analysis for 12 traits, using 28.3 million imputed sequence variants in 70 328 animals across 14 pig breeds.

Advances in i-motif structures: Stability, gene expression, and therapeutic applications.

The i-motif, a cytosine-rich DNA structure formed under acidic conditions, plays a pivotal role in regulating gene expression and holds significant therapeutic potential across various diseases. Found in the promoter regions of oncogenes such as Bcl-2, C-MYC, and KRAS, i-motifs dynamically interact with transcription factors and ligands to modulate oncogene activity. Their pH-sensitive nature enables innovative applications, including cellular pH sensors like the "i-switch" and drug delivery platforms such as DNA hydrogels that release therapeutics in acidic tumor microenvironments.

Low-Temperature Water Evaporation-Mediated Fusion and Densification of Wood for High-Performance and Sustainable Materials.

Developing high-performance wood products to replace carbon-intensive structural materials is a key approach to reducing carbon emissions, whereas transforming low-strength wood into high-performance bulk materials through eco-friendly processing techniques is challenging but highly desired. Herein, a facile and sustainable water processing strategy is reported to robustly assemble wood pieces into high-performance bulk materials via delignification, followed by room-temperature water evaporation, eliminating the need for traditional adhesives. As water penetrates and swells the microfibrils, the plasticity of the softened wood is significantly enhanced, thereby facilitating the mutual diffusion of the microfibrils.

Effects of five allelic variants of the wheat vernalization gene on heading date and vernalization requirements.

Unlabelled: Winter wheat must undergo vernalization to flower, while spring wheat does not require vernalization. The requirement for vernalization in wheat is primarily controlled by vernalization genes. are the most important vernalization genes.

Regulatory effects of the bidirectional crosstalk between hepatic gene expressions and gut microbiota on the productive performances and egg quality of induced molting treated layer hens.

The objective of this study was to determine the bidirectional effects between hepatic gene expression and gut microbial communities on regulating the productive performances and egg quality of the layer hens in late-laying period after receiving fasting-induced molting treatment. A total of three hundred and sixty 380-day-old Jingfen No. 6 layer hens from the same batch were randomly divided into the control group (CON) and the fasting-induced molting group (FM), each group contained 9 replicates, with 20 chickens in each replicate.

Predicting Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Obese Populations with 3D Body Scans.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFDL), characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver, is considered a significant threat to public health, particularly in conjunction with obesity and the presence of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH). Traditional clinical methods for evaluating NAFDL, such as liver biopsy and MRI, are either invasive or costly. The utilization of 3D body scans offers a noninvasive and efficient approach to capture precise body shape information rapidly.

Anxiety or reflection? exploring profiles of death awareness among chinese nurses: a latent profile analysis.

Background: Nurses frequently encounter death due to their professional roles, impacting their perceptions of mortality. Previous research has largely focused on the negative aspect of death awareness, known as death anxiety, while the other aspect, death reflection, has been less explored. This study aims to investigate the profiles of death awareness among Chinese nurses and identify factors influencing these profiles, such as socio-demographic characteristics, work-related characteristics, death education, and resilience.

Analysis of non-tuberculous mycobacteria types in high tuberculosis endemic areas.

Background: The incidence of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) has been rising globally, posing significant challenges for diagnosis and treatment, particularly in regions with high tuberculosis (TB) incidence. This study aims to investigate the epidemiological, demographic, and clinical characteristics of non-tuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NTM-PD) in areas with a high incidence of TB.

Method: This study was conducted at the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University from January 2017 to December 2021.

A system genetics analysis uncovers the regulatory variants controlling drought response in wheat.

Plants activate a variable response to drought stress by modulating transcription of key genes. However, our knowledge of genetic variations governing gene expression in response to drought stress remains limited in natural germplasm. Here, we performed a comprehensive analysis of the transcriptional variability of 200 wheat accessions in response to drought stress by using a systems genetics approach integrating pan-transcriptome, co-expression networks, transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS), and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) mapping.

Identified Candidate Genes of Semen Trait in Three Pig Breeds Through Weighted GWAS and Multi-Tissue Transcriptome Analysis.

High-quality semen is an essential factor for the success of artificial insemination, and revealing the genetic structure of pig semen traits helps improve semen quality. This study aimed to identify candidate genes associated with semen traits in three pig breeds (Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire) through weighted GWAS and multi-tissue transcriptome analysis. In this study, to identify candidate genes associated with semen traits in Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire, we performed weighted GWAS in four traits (sperm motility, sperm progressive motility, sperm abnormality rate, and total sperm count) using 936 pigs and multi-tissue transcriptome analysis using 34 tissues RNA-seq data of 5457 pigs from FarmGTEx.

Wheat glutenin allele 1Ax2∗ improves dough and bread quality without compromising yield.

High yield and good quality are two predominant objectives of most of the wheat breeding programs. Modulating HMW-GS composition is an effective approach to improve grain quality without yield penalty. In this study, we first analyzed the background similarity of three near-isogenic lines (NILs) with 1Ax-null, 1Ax1 or 1Ax2∗ alleles in the background of cultivar Xiaoyan-22 at the protein and DNA levels.

Construction of a novel cuproptosis-related gene signature and integrative analyses in cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: Cuproptosis is a unique form of cell death that is dependent on copper, which is fundamentally different from other recognized forms of cell death. However, the molecular and immune characteristics in cuproptosis-defined subgroups of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) remain to be further illustrated.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive investigation into the genetic and transcriptional variation, prognostic significance, and expression profiles of 16 cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs).

Multilayer entropy-weighted TOPSIS method and its decision-making in ecological operation during the subsidence period of the Three Gorges Reservoir.

Coordinating the downstream ecological demand and the power generation demand of hydropower stations is an important task in the operation of reservoirs, and how to evaluate the ecological satisfaction of the scheduling process is a difficult problem that needs to be solved urgently. A multi-objective optimal reservoir scheduling model was constructed to coordinate the spawning flow demand of " Four Major Chinese Carps"; The model takes the maximum power generation and the maximum membership degree of downstream river ecological water demand as the objective functions, and uses the dynamic programming multi-objective solution algorithm based on penalty factors to solve the problem, and obtains the non-inferior solution set in each scenario. The multilayer entropy-weighted TOPSIS method was used to study the non-inferior solution of the multi-objective scheduling model of the Three Gorges Reservoir, and the satisfactory solution ranking of the river flow rise process, ecological flow-related requirements, and power generation water requirements was obtained under the four schemes including 4d ~ 7d, which improved the reliability of the evaluation results and made up for the shortcomings of the traditional TOPSIS method in terms of hierarchy and weight science.