Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals potential regulatory genes involved in the development and strength formation of maize stalks.

Background: Stalk strength is a critical trait in maize that influences plant architecture, lodging resistance and grain yield. The developmental stage of maize, spanning from the vegetative stage to the reproductive stage, is critical for determining stalk strength. However, the dynamics of the genetic control of this trait remains unclear.

Podocyte YAP ablation decreases podocyte adhesion and exacerbates FSGS progression through α3β1 integrin.

Severe proteinuria in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is closely associated with decreased adhesion, and subsequent loss, of podocytes. Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a key transcriptional coactivator that plays a significant role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. However, its role in podocyte adhesion and its specific mechanism in FSGS progression remain unclear.

Chiral kagome superconductivity modulations with residual Fermi arcs.

Superconductivity involving finite-momentum pairing can lead to spatial-gap and pair-density modulations, as well as Bogoliubov Fermi states within the superconducting gap. However, the experimental realization of their intertwined relations has been challenging. Here we detect chiral kagome superconductivity modulations with residual Fermi arcs in KVSb and CsVSb using normal and Josephson scanning tunnelling microscopy down to 30 millikelvin with a resolved electronic energy difference at the microelectronvolt level.

Stable skyrmion bundles at room temperature and zero magnetic field in a chiral magnet.

Topological spin textures are characterized by magnetic topological charges, Q, which govern their electromagnetic properties. Recent studies have achieved skyrmion bundles with arbitrary integer values of Q, opening possibilities for exploring topological spintronics based on Q. However, the realization of stable skyrmion bundles in chiral magnets at room temperature and zero magnetic field - the prerequisite for realistic device applications - has remained elusive.

Potential role of ɛ4 allele as a modifier for the association of Val66Met polymorphisms and cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older adults.

Objective: To determine whether the brain-derived neurotrophic factor () Val66Met polymorphism is associated with cognitive impairment (CI) in community-dwelling Chinese older adults, and to investigate whether this relationship is modified by the Apolipoprotein E () ɛ4 allele.

Methods: The study is a secondary analysis of 703 participants aged ≥60 years randomly enrolled from the Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging II prospective cohort. The education-adjusted Mini-Mental State Examination and the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale were used to measure the cognitive performance of the subjects.

Room-Temperature Zero-Field Skyrmions and Their Field-Driven Evolutions in Chiral Nanodisks.

Target skyrmion, characterized by a central skyrmion surrounded by a series of concentric cylinder domains known as skyrmions ( ≥ 2), holds promise as a novel storage state in next-generation memories. However, target skyrmions comprising one or more concentric cylindrical domains have not been observed in chiral magnets, particularly at room temperature. In this study, we experimentally achieved skyrmions ( = 2, 3, and 4) with diameters of ∼220, 320, and 410 nm, respectively, and room-temperature stability under zero magnetic field by tightly confining these topological spin textures in β-Mn-type CoZnMn nanodisks.

Quantum interactions in topological R166 kagome magnet.

Kagome magnet has been found to be a fertile ground for the search of exotic quantum states in condensed matter. Arising from the unusual geometry, the quantum interactions in the kagome lattice give rise to various quantum states, including the Chern-gapped Dirac fermion, Weyl fermion, flat band and van Hove singularity. Here we review recent advances in the study of the R166 kagome magnet (RTE, R = rare earths; T = transition metals; and E = Sn, Ge, etc) whose crystal structure highlights the transition-metal-based kagome lattice and rare-earth sublattice.

High field magnetic transport measurements of FeGe thin plates.

Magnetic skyrmions have garnered considerable attention due to their topological properties and potential applications in information storage. These unique structures can be found in chiral magnets, including well-known compounds like MnSi and FeGe with a B20-type crystal structure. In this study, we utilized Lorentz transmission electron microscopy to investigate the influence of magnetic skyrmions on the Hall effect in FeGe under low magnetic fields.

Association between postural tremor and risk of disability in community-dwelling older people.

Background: The prevalence of postural tremor increases with age and the tremor has been found to be associated with aging-related physiological decline. However, whether postural tremor in older adults is associated with adverse outcomes such as disability is unclear. This study investigated the association between postural tremor and the risk of disability in activities of daily living (ADL) among community-dwelling older people.

Characterization and Fine Mapping of and , Two Major QTLs for Rind Penetrometer Resistance in Maize.

Stalk strength is one of the most important traits in maize, which affects stalk lodging resistance and, consequently, maize harvestable yield. Rind penetrometer resistance (RPR) as an effective and reliable measurement for evaluating maize stalk strength is positively correlated with stalk lodging resistance. In this study, one F and three F populations derived from the cross of inbred lines 3705I (the low RPR line) and LH277 (the high RPR line) were constructed for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL), conferring RPR in maize.

Comparative Analysis of Transcriptomes of Diploid and Tetraploid under Drought Stress.

is a species of bioenergy crop unique to China. It is widely distributed in the south of China with high resistance to drought and salt stress. To date, the molecular mechanism of the adaption to drought stress in is little known.

An Optical Image Encryption Method Using Hopfield Neural Network.

In this paper, aiming to solve the problem of vital information security as well as neural network application in optical encryption system, we propose an optical image encryption method by using the Hopfield neural network. The algorithm uses a fuzzy single neuronal dynamic system and a chaotic Hopfield neural network for chaotic sequence generation and then obtains chaotic random phase masks. Initially, the original images are decomposed into sub-signals through wavelet packet transform, and the sub-signals are divided into two layers by adaptive classification after scrambling.

Topological charge-entropy scaling in kagome Chern magnet TbMnSn.

In ordinary materials, electrons conduct both electricity and heat, where their charge-entropy relations observe the Mott formula and the Wiedemann-Franz law. In topological quantum materials, the transverse motion of relativistic electrons can be strongly affected by the quantum field arising around the topological fermions, where a simple model description of their charge-entropy relations remains elusive. Here we report the topological charge-entropy scaling in the kagome Chern magnet TbMnSn, featuring pristine Mn kagome lattices with strong out-of-plane magnetization.

Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation applied in lower limbs decreases the incidence of paralytic ileus after colorectal surgery: A multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Background: Postoperative paralytic ileus prolongs hospitalization duration, increases medical expenses, and is even associated with postoperative mortality; however, effective prevention of postoperative paralytic ileus is not yet available. This trial aimed to assess the preventative effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation applied in the lower limbs on postoperative paralytic ileus incidence after colorectal surgery.

Methods: After ethics approval and written informed consent, 610 patients from 10 hospitals who were scheduled for colorectal surgery between May 2018 and September 2019 were enrolled.

Rare Earth Engineering in RMn_{6}Sn_{6} (R=Gd-Tm, Lu) Topological Kagome Magnets.

Exploration of the topological quantum materials with electron correlation is at the frontier of physics, as the strong interaction may give rise to new topological phases and transitions. Here we report that a family of kagome magnets RMn_{6}Sn_{6} manifest the quantum transport properties analogical to those in the quantum-limit Chern magnet TbMn_{6}Sn_{6}. The topological transport in the family, including quantum oscillations with nontrivial Berry phase and large anomalous Hall effect arising from Berry curvature field, points to the existence of Chern gapped Dirac fermions.

The reference genome of Miscanthus floridulus illuminates the evolution of Saccharinae.

Miscanthus, a member of the Saccharinae subtribe that includes sorghum and sugarcane, has been widely studied as a feedstock for cellulosic biofuel production. Here, we report the sequencing and assembly of the Miscanthus floridulus genome by the integration of PacBio sequencing and Hi-C mapping, resulting in a chromosome-scale, high-quality reference genome of the genus Miscanthus. Comparisons among Saccharinae genomes suggest that Sorghum split first from the common ancestor of Saccharum and Miscanthus, which subsequently diverged from each other, with two successive whole-genome duplication events occurring independently in the Saccharum genus and one whole-genome duplication occurring in the Miscanthus genus.

Single Neuronal Dynamical System in Self-Feedbacked Hopfield Networks and Its Application in Image Encryption.

Image encryption is a confidential strategy to keep the information in digital images from being leaked. Due to excellent chaotic dynamic behavior, self-feedbacked Hopfield networks have been used to design image ciphers. However, Self-feedbacked Hopfield networks have complex structures, large computational amount and fixed parameters; these properties limit the application of them.

Quantum-limit Chern topological magnetism in TbMnSn.

The quantum-level interplay between geometry, topology and correlation is at the forefront of fundamental physics. Kagome magnets are predicted to support intrinsic Chern quantum phases owing to their unusual lattice geometry and breaking of time-reversal symmetry. However, quantum materials hosting ideal spin-orbit-coupled kagome lattices with strong out-of-plane magnetization are lacking.

Observation of Weyl fermions in a magnetic non-centrosymmetric crystal.

The absence of inversion symmetry in non-centrosymmetric materials has a fundamental role in the emergence of a vast number of fascinating phenomena, like ferroelectricity, second harmonic generation, and Weyl fermions. The removal of time-reversal symmetry in such systems further extends the variety of observable magneto-electric and topological effects. Here we report the striking topological properties in the non-centrosymmetric spin-orbit magnet PrAlGe by combining spectroscopy and transport measurements.

Education Moderates the Association of Probable REM Sleep Behavior Disorder With Cognitive and Motor Impairments in Community-Dwelling Older People.

To investigate the relationship between probable rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (pRBD) and cognitive/motor impairments in a community-dwelling population and explore the moderating effects of education. In this cross-sectional study of the Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging II (BLSA II), 4,477 subjects (≥55 years) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. pRBD was determined by the RBD Questionnaire-Hong Kong (RBDQ-HK).

A New Magnetic Topological Quantum Material Candidate by Design.

Magnetism, when combined with an unconventional electronic band structure, can give rise to forefront electronic properties such as the quantum anomalous Hall effect, axion electrodynamics, and Majorana fermions. Here we report the characterization of high-quality crystals of EuSnP, a new quantum material specifically designed to engender unconventional electronic states plus magnetism. EuSnP has a layered, BiTe-type structure.

Topological chiral crystals with helicoid-arc quantum states.

The quantum behaviour of electrons in materials is the foundation of modern electronics and information technology, and quantum materials with topological electronic and optical properties are essential for realizing quantized electronic responses that can be used for next generation technology. Here we report the first observation of topological quantum properties of chiral crystals in the RhSi family. We find that this material class hosts a quantum phase of matter that exhibits nearly ideal topological surface properties originating from the crystals' structural chirality.