Unveiling the genetic architecture of barley embryo: QTL mapping, candidate genes identification and its relationship with kernel size and early vigour.

In this first QTL mapping study of embryo size in barley, novel and stable QTL were identified and candidate genes underlying a significant locus independent of kernel size were identified based on orthologous analysis and comparison of the whole-genome assemblies for both parental genotypes of the mapping population. Embryo, also known as germ, in cereal grains plays a crucial role in plant development. The embryo accounts for only a small portion of grain weight but it is rich in nutrients.

The influence of social status and promise levels in trust games: An Event-Related Potential (ERP) study.

Promises are widely used to increase trust in social status; yet how promise levels and social status influence trust behavior and its underlying neurophysiological mechanisms remain unclear. We used a modified trust game to investigate the effects of promise levels and social status on trust behavior. Participants, as investors paired with trustees of varying social status who were given the opportunity to promise to return different levels of money, were required to decide to whether trust the trustees.

Depressive intensity, duration, and their associations with cognitive decline: a population-based study in Korea.

Existing epidemiological studies have ignored the effect of depressive duration on cognitive decline despite the presence of biological cues and understudied the depression-cognition association in Asian countries in the context of increasing cognitive burden worldwide. We aimed to comprehensively characterize the effects of depressive duration and intensity on cognitive decline at the population level. A total of 6406 individuals from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) from 2010 to 2018 were included to generate four datasets with durations of 2, 4, 6, and 8 years.

A data-driven state identification method for intelligent control of the joint station export system.

As a necessary part of intelligent control of a joint station, the automatic identification of abnormal conditions and automatic adjustment of operation schemes need to judge the running state of the system. In this paper, a combination of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Gray Wolf Optimizer (GWO) is proposed to optimize the Backpropagation Neural Network (BP) model (PSO-GWO-BP) and a pressure drop prediction model for the joint station export system is established using PSO-GWO-BP. Compared with the traditional hydraulic calculation modified (THCM) models and other machine learning algorithms, the PSO-GWO-BP model has significant advantages in prediction accuracy.

Efficacy of radiotherapy in treating local recurrence concomitant with distant metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a long-term retrospective multicenter study.

Purpose: Patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) experiencing locoregional recurrence concomitant with distant metastases (rmNPC) after initial treatment represent a unique subgroup with significant management challenges. This study aimed to evaluate overall survival (OS) in rmNPC patients treated with systemic therapies with or without radiotherapy.

Methods: This retrospective multicenter study included patients with locally recurrent and metastatic NPC from five hospitals.

Research Trends and Development Dynamics of qPCR-based Biomarkers: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis.

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is a vital molecular technique for biomarker detection; however, its clinical application is impeded by the scarcity of robust biomarkers and the inherent limitations of the technology. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of 4063 qPCR-based biomarker studies sourced from the Web of Science (WOS) database, employing VOSviewer and CiteSpace to generate multi-dimensional structural insights into this field. The results reveal a growing trend in research within this domain, with gene expression analysis playing a central role in the identification of potential biomarkers.

Effects of key physiological parameters on cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis risk in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

The essential cause of menopause is ovarian failure, which can cause decline in sex hormones (especially estrogen) that can increase the risk of metabolic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. This study screened 1511 eligible patients from 2148 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, measuring various physiological and biochemical indicators to analyze differences among age groups (40-44, 45-49, and 50-54 years) with laboratory techniques. The study found no significant difference in the incidence of cardiovascular disease betweenperimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

The learning curve of total robotic jejunojejunostomy during choledochal cyst excision in pediatrics: a retrospective study.

Background: We conducted this retrospective study to investigate the characteristics of the learning curve of total robotic jejunojejunostomy during choledochal cyst excision in pediatrics.

Methods: The study analyzed a database of medical records from the first 54 consecutive patients who underwent total robotic jejunojejunostomy during choledochal cyst excision by a single surgeon. Baseline information and postoperative outcomes were collected, and learning curves were assessed using the cumulative sum (CUSUM) method.

The application of mind mapping in the standardized education of inpatient physicians in nephrology.

This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of mind mapping in the standardized training and education of internal medicine resident physicians in nephrology. Sixty trainees undergoing rotations in the Nephrology Department at Chengdu University Affiliated Hospital between January 2021 and December 2023 were randomly assigned to control and observation groups, each comprising 30 trainees. The observation group received mind mapping teaching, while the control group received traditional teaching methods.

Research on the improvement method of imbalance of ground penetrating radar image data.

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) has been widely used to detect highway pavement structures. In recent years, deep learning techniques have achieved significant success in image recognition, which is potentially relevant for interpreting ground-penetrating radar data. This is because the various types of damage develop at different levels and in different quantities.

Identification of prognostic biomarkers of sepsis and construction of ceRNA regulatory networks.

Sepsis is a life-threatening severe organ dysfunction, and the pathogenesis remains uncertain. Increasing evidence suggests that circRNAs, mRNAs, and microRNAs can interact to jointly regulate the development of sepsis. Identifying the interaction between ceRNA regulatory networks and sepsis may contribute to our deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of sepsis, bring new insights into early recognition and treatment of sepsis.

Densely populated macrocyclic dicobalt sites in ladder polymers for low-overpotential oxygen reduction catalysis.

Dual-atom catalysts featuring synergetic dinuclear active sites, have the potential of breaking the linear scaling relationship of the well-established single-atom catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction; however, the design of dual-atom catalysts with rationalized local microenvironment for high activity and selectivity remains a great challenge. Here we design a bisalphen ladder polymer with well-defined densely populated binuclear cobalt sites on Ketjenblack substrates. The strong electron coupling effect between the fully-conjugated ladder structure and carbon substrates enhances the electron transfer between the cobalt center and oxygen intermediates, inducing the low-to-high spin transition for the 3d electron of Co(II).

Causal associations between iron levels in subcortical brain regions and psychiatric disorders: a Mendelian randomization study.

Despite observational studies linking brain iron levels to psychiatric disorders, the exact causal relationship remains poorly understood. This study aims to examine the relationship between iron levels in specific subcortical brain regions and the risk of psychiatric disorders. Utilizing two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, this study investigates the causal associations between iron level changes in 16 subcortical nuclei and eight major psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia (SCZ), major depressive disorder (MDD), autism spectrum disorders (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and insomnia.

gene mutation through CRISPR RNA-guided base editing weakens bacterial virulence and immune evasion.

The resistance of commonly used clinical antibiotics, such as daptomycin (DAP), has become increasingly serious in the fight against () infection. It is essential to explore key pathogenicity-driven genes/proteins in bacterial infection and antibiotics resistance, which contributes to develop novel therapeutic strategies against infections. The gene of , encoding 5'-nucleotidase (NT5), is nearly unknown for its function in drug resistance and bacterial infection.

Blinding assessment in randomised sham-controlled trials of acupuncture:protocol for a systematic survey.

Introduction: Although various sham acupuncture techniques have been employed to ensure blinding in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture, the effectiveness of blinding in these trials and its influence on trial effect size estimates remain unclear. The objectives of this study are the following: (1) to investigate the proportion and study characteristics of sham-controlled trials reporting on blinding assessment, (2) to assess the blinding effectiveness of different types of sham acupuncture, (3) to investigate the relationship between blinding effectiveness and effect sizes in acupuncture RCTs.

Methods And Analysis: We will search PubMed and EMBASE from inception to 1 January 2025 to identify RCTs that compared acupuncture with sham acupuncture in humans with any disease or symptom, with no restrictions on language.

Nonlinear Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Liver Transplant Outcomes: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis.

Background: Weight management was recommended to have more access to transplantation and improve transplant outcomes after liver transplantation (LT). However, the dose-response relationship between body mass index (BMI) and transplant outcomes has not been clearly defined.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched up to October 20th, 2019.

Impact of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty/Steatotic Liver Disease on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Incidence and Long-Term Prognosis Post-Liver Resection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: This study investigates the influence of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD)/metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) on the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among general population and patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). It also explores its implications for the long-term prognosis of HCC patients following hepatic resection.

Methods: Relevant studies were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, including adherence to diagnostic criteria for MAFLD/MASLD and reporting hazard ratios (HRs) using Cox proportional hazards models.

Toll/interleukin-1 receptor-only genes contribute to immune responses in maize.

Proteins with Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domains are widely distributed in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, serving as essential components of immune signaling. Although monocots lack the major TIR-nucleotide-binding (NB)-leucine-rich repeat (LRR)-type (TNL) immune receptors, they possess a small number of TIR-only proteins, the function of which remains largely unknown. In the monocot maize (Zea mays), there are three conserved TIR-only genes in the reference genome, namely ZmTIR1 to ZmTIR3.

The Role of Environmental Endocrine Disruptors on Leydig Cell Death and Senescen.

Environmental endocrine disruptors, as exogenous chemicals that interfere with hormonal behavior, are known to cause testicular Leydig cell death and senescence. The incidence of diseases of the male reproductive system has been increasing over the past half-century. Genetic defects alone cannot explain the rapid increase in incidence, and there is growing evidence that environmental factors or lifestyle changes are responsible for the high incidence in recent years.

3D-printed sodium alginate/carbon nanotube/graphene porous scaffolds crosslinked with Ca for high-performance electromagnetic shielding and Joule heating.

High-performance green functional materials have garnered significant interest for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding applications, but creating customized, low-density, high-strength and high-efficiency biomass-based shielding materials remains challenging. In this study, lightweight Ca doped sodium alginate (SA) porous scaffolds with a carbon nanotube (CNT)/graphene (Gr) hybrid conductive network were fabricated via direct ink writing (DIW) 3D printing. The SA/CNT/Gr inks with unique rheological properties were formulated and architectures with arbitrarily customized structures could be freely constructed based on the printable inks.

Konjac glucomannan-based foams incorporating cellulose phase change microcapsules for efficient thermal energy regulation.

Biomass foam with porous structure has broad application prospects in thermal energy management. However, traditional foams can only passively insulate heat, unable to effectively store thermal energy and prolong the insulation time. In this work, microcapsules rich in paraffin were prepared using the Pickering emulsion template method with phosphorylated cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) as an emulsifier.

Biocompatible and stretchable chitosan piezoelectric gel with antibacterial capability and motion monitoring function for Achilles tendon rupture treatment.

Achilles tendon rupture is a common and serious condition that remains a challenge in the restoration of tendon structure and function. The design and use of high-performance piezoelectric materials serve as an effective solution to enhance repair outcomes, shorten recovery times, and reduce the risk of recurrence. In this study, we prepared a chitosan piezoelectric gel (CSPG) as an organic polymer with excellent biocompatibility, stretchability, and piezoelectric properties as well as excellent antibacterial properties.

The role of GPR81-cAMP-PKA pathway in endurance training-induced intramuscular triglyceride accumulation and mitochondrial content changes in rats.

The athlete's paradox phenomenon involves the accumulation of intramuscular triglycerides (IMTG) in both insulin-resistant and insulin-sensitive endurance athletes. Nevertheless, a complete understanding of this phenomenon is yet to be achieved. Recent research indicates that lactate, a common byproduct of physical activity, may increase the accumulation of IMTG in skeletal muscle.

Non-pharmacological interventions for primary hypertension: a systematic review and network meta-analysis protocol.

Introduction: Primary hypertension (PH) affects over one billion individuals globally, yet less than 30% achieve controlled blood pressure (BP) with medication. Many patients require a combination of multiple medications to reach targets, but adverse effects and financial burdens undermine adherence. Additionally, prehypertension affects 25%-50% of adults, increasing the risk of cardiovascular complications.