Analysis of the genetic basis of fiber-related traits and flowering time in upland cotton using machine learning.

Cotton is an important crop for fiber production, but the genetic basis underlying key agronomic traits, such as fiber quality and flowering days, remains complex. While machine learning (ML) has shown great potential in uncovering the genetic architecture of complex traits in other crops, its application in cotton has been limited. Here, we applied five machine learning models-AdaBoost, Gradient Boosting Regressor, LightGBM, Random Forest, and XGBoost-to identify loci associated with fiber quality and flowering days in cotton.

Exploration of Quantum Chemistry Methods to Explain Mechanism of Mechanochemical Degradation of Typical Organic Pollutants.

The high-efficiency ball milling treatment technology primarily combines the excitation of oxidation processes with high-speed physical collisions, thereby promoting the reaction processes and enhancing the degradation effectiveness of materials. This technology has gained widespread attention in recent years for its application in the degradation of organic solid chemical pollutants. In this study, quantum chemical density functional theory (DFT) was employed to first analyze the impact of electron addition and subtraction on molecular chemical bonds.

Biological Characteristics and Whole-Genome Analysis of a Porcine Phage.

(1) Background: In recent years, the increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens in pig farms has begun to pose a severe threat to animal welfare and, by extension, public health. In this study, we aimed to explore the biological characteristics and genomic features of bacteriophages that are capable of lysing porcine multidrug-resistant , which was isolated from sewage. In doing so, we provided a reference for phage therapies that can be used to treat multidrug-resistant strains.

Analysis of Refractive Index Sensing Properties of a Hybrid Hollow Cylindrical Tetramer Array.

In recent years, metal surface plasmon resonance sensors and dielectric guided-mode resonance sensors have attracted the attention of researchers. Metal sensors are sensitive to environmental disturbances but have high optical losses, while dielectric sensors have low losses but limited sensitivity. To overcome these limitations, hybrid resonance sensors that combine the advantages of metal and dielectric were proposed to achieve a high sensitivity and a high factor at the same time.

Research on Red/Near-Infrared Fluorescent Carbon Dots Based on Different Carbon Sources and Solvents: Fluorescence Mechanism and Biological Applications.

Fluorescent carbon dots, especially red/near-infrared-emitting CDs, are becoming increasingly important in the field of biomedicine. This article reviews the synthesis, fluorescence mechanisms, and biological applications of R/NIR-CDs, emphasizing the importance of carbon source and solvent selection in controlling their optical properties. The formation process of CDs is classified, and the fluorescence mechanisms of CDs are summarized, involving carbon core states, surface states, molecular states, and cross-linking enhanced emission effects.

Molecular Phylogenetics and Estimation of Evolutionary Divergence and Biogeography of the Family Cordycipitaceae (Ascomycota, Hypocreales).

The Cordycipitaceae family of insecticidal fungi is widely distributed in nature, is the most complex in the order Hypocreales (Ascomycota), with members displaying a diversity of morphological characteristics and insect host ranges. Based on Bayesian evolutionary analysis of five genomic loci(the small subunit of ribosomal RNA (SSU) gene, the large subunit of ribosomal RNA (LSU) gene, the translation elongation factor 1-α () gene, the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (), and the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (), we inferred the divergence times for members of the Cordycipitaceae, improving the internal phylogeny of this fungal family. Molecular clock analyses indicate that the ancestor of occurred in the Paleogene period (34.

New Species of () from Diseased Leaves in Fujian Province, China.

Fungal biota represents important constituents of phyllosphere microorganisms. It is taxonomically highly diverse and influences plant physiology, metabolism and health. Members of the order are distributed worldwide and include devastating plant pathogens as well as endophytes and saprophytes.

Ethyl Acetate Extract of Activates the P21/Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway to Alleviate Oxidative Stress in a Mouse Model of Alcoholic Liver Disease.

Background: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a significant global health concern, primarily resulting from chronic alcohol consumption, with oxidative stress as a key driver. The ethyl acetate extract of (CGE) exhibits antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties, but its detailed mechanism of action against ALD remains unclear. This study investigates the effects and mechanisms of CGE in alleviating alcohol-induced oxidative stress and liver injury.

Three-Dimensional Printable Magnetic Hydrogels with Adjustable Stiffness and Adhesion for Magnetic Actuation and Magnetic Hyperthermia Applications.

Stimuli-responsive hydrogels hold immense promise for biomedical applications, but conventional gelation processes often struggle to achieve the precision and complexity required for advanced functionalities such as soft robotics, targeted drug delivery, and tissue engineering. This study introduces a class of 3D-printable magnetic hydrogels with tunable stiffness, adhesion, and magnetic responsiveness, prepared through a simple and efficient "one-pot" method. This approach enables precise control over the hydrogel's mechanical properties, with an elastic modulus ranging from 43 kPa to 277 kPa, tensile strength from 93 kPa to 421 kPa, and toughness from 243 kJ/m to 1400 kJ/m, achieved by modulating the concentrations of acrylamide (AM) and FeO nanoparticles.

Penfluridol targets septin7 to suppress endometrial cancer by septin7-Orai/IP3R-Ca-PIK3CA pathway.

Phenotypic screening of existing drugs is a good strategy to discover new drugs. Herein, 33 psychotherapeutic drugs in our drug library were screened by phenotypic screening and penfluridol (PFD) was found to exhibit excellent anti-endometrial cancer (EC) activity both and . Furthermore, the molecular target of PFD was identified as septin7, a tumor suppressor in EC.

Highly Transparent Superhydrophobic Coatings for Prevention of Raindrop Adhesion on Rearview Mirrors.

The adhesion of raindrops on car rearview mirrors poses a significant threat to traffic safety due to the resulting blurred vision. Transparent superhydrophobic coatings have emerged as a potential solution to this problem. However, the development of transparent superhydrophobic coatings is often hampered by complex preparation procedures, high costs, and limited substrate compatibility, rendering them unsuitable for practical applications.

Enhancing shelf-life of dried goji berry: Effects of drying methods and packaging conditions on browning evolution.

Preservation and shelf-life extension are of paramount importance for dried goji berry, especially those dehydrated using pulsed vacuum drying (PVD), which are generally applied for the high-quality dried products in the markets. This study compared the storage stability of dried goji berry dehydrated using PVD versus conventional hot wind drying (HWD), focusing on the complex interactions between packaging conditions and physicochemical compounds during accelerated storage. The results showed that PVD-dried goji berry exhibited higher browning degree (2.

Characteristics of salt dust aerosols and their transport implications in the Aral Sea.

Central Asia is an ecologically fragile arid zone and a typical mixed salt‒sand region. The socioeconomic and ecological problems attributed to the shrinking of the Aral Sea in Central Asia are notable concerns within the international community. In this study, the characteristics of salt dust aerosols from the Aral Sea were analysed to explore their interannual variation characteristics and analyse the spatial and temporal distributions of salt dust sources and transport and dispersion pathways.

Quantification of Fugitive Carbon Emissions from Uncontrolled Combustion in Coal Fire Area: the Sandaoba Coalfield, Xinjiang, China.

Spontaneous coal fires are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming. However, the lack of reliable estimation methods and research has obscured the full environmental impact of these emissions. This paper presents a novel quantification method for fugitive carbon emissions from spontaneous coal combustion.

Insights into the functional mechanisms of the sesquiterpene synthase GEAS and GERDS in lavender.

Lavenders are economically significant plants cultivated worldwide for their essential oils (EOs) containing sesquiterpenes. These EOs contribute to the cosmetic, personal hygiene, and pharmaceutical industries. The biosynthesis of lavender sesquiterpenes involves enzymes like sesquiterpene synthases GEAS and GERDS.

Genetic, metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of the cotton yellow anther trait.

In the fiber industry, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is an important crop. One of the most important morphology traits of plants is the color of the anthers, is closely related to pollen fertility and stress resistance.

Construction of an lncRNA-mediated ceRNA network to investigate the inflammatory regulatory mechanisms of ischemic stroke.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are among the most abundant types of non-coding RNAs in the genome and exhibit particularly high expression levels in the brain, where they play crucial roles in various neurophysiological and neuropathological processes. Although ischemic stroke is a complex multifactorial disease, the involvement of brain-derived lncRNAs in its intricate regulatory networks remains inadequately understood. In this study, we established a cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury model using middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Expansion of the known host range of Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. in captive wildlife at Beijing Zoo.

Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. are significant zoonotic parasites that cause diarrhea and affect a diverse range of hosts. This study aimed to investigate the infection rates of these parasites in captive wildlife at Beijing Zoo.

Higher PEPC activity and vein density contribute to improve cotton leaf water use efficiency under water stress.

Plants with the C photosynthetic pathway can withstand water stress better than plants with C metabolism. However, it is unclear whether C photosynthesis can be preliminarily activated in droughted cotton leaves, and if this contributes to increase in water use efficiency (WUE). An upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.

Effects of soil water on fungal community composition along elevational gradients on the northern slope of the Central Kunlun Mountains.

Soil fungi are essential to ecosystem processes, yet their elevational distribution patterns and the ecological mechanisms shaping their communities remain poorly understood and actively debated, particularly in arid regions. Here, we investigated the diversity patterns and underlying mechanisms shaping soil fungal communities along an elevational gradient (1,707-3,548 m) on the northern slope of the Central Kunlun Mountains in northwest China. Results indicated that the dominant phyla identified across the seven elevational gradients were and , displaying a unimodal pattern and a U-shaped pattern in relative abundance, respectively.

All roads lead to Rome: the plasticity of gut microbiome drives the extensive adaptation of the Yarkand toad-headed agama () to different altitudes.

The gut microbiome was involved in a variety of physiological processes and played a key role in host environmental adaptation. However, the mechanisms of their response to altitudinal environmental changes remain unclear. In this study, we used 16S rRNA sequencing and LC-MS metabolomics to investigate the changes in the gut microbiome and metabolism of the Yarkand toad-headed agama () at different altitudes (-80 m to 2000 m).

First-line cadonilimab plus chemotherapy in HER2-negative advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma: a randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trial.

Programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitors plus chemotherapy have been the standard of care in the first-line treatment of advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) adenocarcinoma; however, the survival benefits are modest in patients with low programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. Here we investigated the efficacy and safety of cadonilimab (PD-1/cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) bispecific antibody) plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment in G/GEJ adenocarcinoma. The prespecified interim analysis is reported here.

Prevalence of malnutrition among adult inpatients in China: a nationwide cross-sectional study.

Malnutrition substantially contributes to adverse clinical outcomes. However, no national survey has been conducted to characterize its epidemiology in hospital settings in China. We conducted the China Nutrition Fundamental Data 2020 project among a multistage stratified cluster sample of adult inpatients from 291 study sites across 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities (except for Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan Province, and the Xizang Autonomous Region, please see MATERIALS AND METHODS for details of the causes) of China to generate reliable data on the prevalence of malnutrition and explore the associated risk factors.

The technological advancement environmental regulations and their impact on energy efficiency and CO emissions.

Environmental rules and regulations are essential instruments the government administration uses to control environmental problems in this era of advanced technologies and smooth economic growth. This paper aims to examine how environmental regulations, both mandatory and incentive-based, impact on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the presence of urbanization, foreign trade, economic growth and energy efficiency (EE) in logistics transportation. The influence of explicating factors on dependent variables, such as the highest, lowest, and mean, is estimated using the quantile regression model.

How Often Does Bacteremia Occur in Patients With Chronic Periprosthetic Joint Infection? A Prospective, Observational Study.

Background: Bacteremia is sometimes observed in patients with prosthetic joint infection (PJI), and it is associated with a lower likelihood of infection control. However, the prevalence and association of bacteremia in chronic PJI remain unknown.

Questions/purposes: (1) What percentage of patients are diagnosed with bacteremia at the time of hospital admission and before surgery for chronic PJI? (2) What clinical factors are associated with positive blood cultures? (3) To what degree are positive blood cultures associated with infection-free implant survival in patients with chronic PJI?

Methods: This prospective study was conducted at a single academic institution from June 2021 to August 2022.