Background GOSSYM is a mechanistic,process-based cotton model that can simulate cotton crop growth and development,yield,and fiber quality.Its fiber quality module was developed based on controlled experiments explici...Background GOSSYM is a mechanistic,process-based cotton model that can simulate cotton crop growth and development,yield,and fiber quality.Its fiber quality module was developed based on controlled experiments explicitly conducted on the Texas Marker^(-1)(TM1)variety,potentially making its functional equations more aligned with this cultivar.To assess the model’s broader applicability,this study analyzed fiber quality data from 40 upland cotton cultivars,including TM1.The measured fiber quality from all cultivars was then compared with the modelsimulated fiber quality.Results Among the 40 upland cultivars,fiber strength varied from 28.4 cN·tex^(-1) to 34.6 cN·tex^(-1),fiber length ranged from 27.1 mm to 33.3 mm,micronaire value ranged from 2.7 to 4.6,and length uniformity index varied from 82.3%to 85.5%.The model simulated fiber quality closely matched the measured values for TM1,with the absolute percentage error(APE)being less than 0.92%for fiber strength,fiber length,and length uniformity index and 4.7%for micronaire.However,significant differences were observed for the other cultivars.The Pearson correlation coefficient(r)between the measured and simulated values was negative for all fiber quality traits,and Wilmotts’s index of agreement(WIA)was below 0.45,indicating a strong model bias toward TM1 without incorporating cultivar-specific parameters.After incorporating cultivar-specific parameters,the model’s performance improved significantly,with an average r-value of 0.84 and WIA of 0.88.Conclusions The adopted methodology and estimated cultivar-specific parameters improved the model’s simulation accuracy.This approach can be applied to newer cotton cultivars,enhancing the GOSSYM model’s utility and its applicability for agricultural management and policy decisions.展开更多
Arsenic(As)contamination is one of the major factors that contribute to environmental pollution,and it plays havoc with sustainability of crop production.Nano-hydroxyapatite(nHAP)can be an effective phosphorus(P)sourc...Arsenic(As)contamination is one of the major factors that contribute to environmental pollution,and it plays havoc with sustainability of crop production.Nano-hydroxyapatite(nHAP)can be an effective phosphorus(P)source to cope with As toxicity.The mitigating effects of variable P sources on As toxicity in rice,sunflower,and maize grown in an alkaline soil were evaluated.Arsenic was applied at 0 and 20 mg kg^(-1),and P was applied at 0,50,and 500 mg kg^(-1)in the forms of triple superphosphate(TSP)and nHAP.In addition,the same amount of phosphoric acid was also used in the sunflower and maize experiments with the other P sources.The structural and functional properties of nHAP were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.Stunted growth was observed in rice,and less in sunflower;maize remained unaffected by As toxicity.In the presence of As,TSP and nHAP at their high doses(500 mg kg^(-1))significantly increased the rice dry weight compared with the control(0 mg kg^(-1)).The As concentration in rice was decreased by approximately 25%in the presence of 50 mg kg^(-1)TSP and 500 mg kg^(-1)nHAP.The P treatments had no significant effect on the As concentration in sunflower,whereas the As concentration in maize was increased by 500 mg kg^(-1)TSP.In the absence and presence of As,nHAP at 50 mg kg^(-1)significantly increased rice P concentration,whereas in the presence of As,500 mg kg^(-1)TSP significantly increased P concentration in rice compared with the control.Arsenic had no significant effect on sunflower P concentration,while the maize P concentration was decreased in the 0 mg kg^(-1)P treatment.It can be concluded that TSP and nHAP were effective in alleviating As toxicity in rice and sunflower.Comparative studies are further needed to determine the long-term effects of TSP and nHAP on prevention of As toxicity in field conditions.展开更多
Commercial production of spinach(Spinacia oleracea L.)is centered in California and Arizona in the US,where downy mildew caused by Peronospora effusa is the most destructive disease.Nineteen typical races of P.effusa ...Commercial production of spinach(Spinacia oleracea L.)is centered in California and Arizona in the US,where downy mildew caused by Peronospora effusa is the most destructive disease.Nineteen typical races of P.effusa have been reported to infect spinach,with 16 identified after 1990.The regular appearance of new pathogen races breaks the resistance gene introgressed in spinach.We attempted to map and delineate the RPF2 locus at a finer resolution,identify linked single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)markers,and report candidate downy mildew resistance(R)genes.Progeny populations segregating for RPF2 locus derived from resistant differential cultivar Lazio were infected using race 5 of P.effusa and were used to study for genetic transmission and mapping analysis in this study.Association analysis performed with low coverage whole genome resequencing-generated SNP markers mapped the RPF2 locus between 0.47 to 1.46 Mb of chromosome 3 with peak SNP(Chr3_1,221,009)showing a LOD value of 61.6 in the GLM model in TASSEL,which was within 1.08 Kb from Spo12821,a gene that encodes CC-NBS-LRR plant disease resistance protein.In addition,a combined analysis of progeny panels of Lazio and Whale segregating for RPF2 and RPF3 loci delineated the resistance section in chromosome 3 between 1.18–1.23 and 1.75–1.76 Mb.This study provides valuable information on the RPF2 resistance region in the spinach cultivar Lazio compared to RPF3 loci in the cultivar Whale.The RPF2 and RPF3 specific SNP markers,plus the resistant genes reported here,could add value to breeding efforts to develop downy mildew resistant cultivars in the future.展开更多
Loss of genetic variability is an increasing challenge in tree breeding programs due to the repeated use of a reduced number of founder genotypes.However,in almond,little is known about the genetic variability in curr...Loss of genetic variability is an increasing challenge in tree breeding programs due to the repeated use of a reduced number of founder genotypes.However,in almond,little is known about the genetic variability in current breeding stocks,although several cases of inbreeding depression have been reported.To gain insights into the genetic structure in modern breeding programs worldwide,marker-verified pedigree data of 220 almond cultivars and breeding selections were analyzed.Inbreeding coefficients,pairwise relatedness,and genetic contribution were calculated for these genotypes.The results reveal two mainstream breeding lines based on three cultivars:“Tuono”,“Cristomorto”,and“Nonpareil”.Descendants from“Tuono”or“Cristomorto”number 76(sharing 34 descendants),while“Nonpareil”has 71 descendants.The mean inbreeding coefficient of the analyzed genotypes was 0.041,with 14 genotypes presenting a high inbreeding coefficient,over 0.250.Breeding programs from France,the USA,and Spain showed inbreeding coefficients of 0.075,0.070,and 0.037,respectively.According to their genetic contribution,modern cultivars from Israel,France,the USA,Spain,and Australia trace back to a maximum of six main founding genotypes.Among the group of 65 genotypes carrying the S f allele for self-compatibility,the mean relatedness coefficient was 0.125,with“Tuono”as the main founding genotype(24.7%of total genetic contribution).The results broaden our understanding about the tendencies followed in almond breeding over the last 50 years and will have a large impact into breeding decision-making process worldwide.Increasing current genetic variability is required in almond breeding programs to assure genetic gain and continuing breeding progress.展开更多
Background:The development of alfalfa cultivars with improved digestibility may minimize the yield‐quality tradeoff,enabling higher quality with lateharvested forage and possibly higher yields.Methods:An irrigated ex...Background:The development of alfalfa cultivars with improved digestibility may minimize the yield‐quality tradeoff,enabling higher quality with lateharvested forage and possibly higher yields.Methods:An irrigated experiment conducted over 4 years compared 28‐d harvest schedules with 35‐d harvest schedules and an alternating 21‐d and 35‐d schedule.Four conventional cultivars and four cultivars developed for higher digestibility were grown under each schedule.Results:Delayed cutting(35‐d)yields were 16%greater and the staggered treatments were 6%higher than the 28‐d strategy.The nutritive value decreased significantly with the 35‐d schedule,but a“staggered”system provided nutritive value similar to the 28‐d schedule while achieving higher yields.The nutritive value of cultivars was in the order of HarvXtra>Hi‐Gest>conventional cultivars.The HarvXtra but not Hi‐Gest cultivars achieved similar digestibility under the 35‐d cutting schedule compared with conventional cultivars on a 28‐d schedule.Conclusions:This study clearly demonstrates that higher nutritive value cultivars of fall dormancy 6–9 grown with staggered or late cutting schedules can increase yields while maintaining higher nutritive value.The combination of staggered or late schedules with improved cultivars can maximize yields while maintaining the nutritive value of alfalfa,potentially breaking the alfalfa yield‐quality tradeoff.展开更多
Purpose-The real-time generation of feature descriptors for object recognition is a challenging problem.In this research,the purpose of this paper is to provide a hardware friendly framework to generate sparse feature...Purpose-The real-time generation of feature descriptors for object recognition is a challenging problem.In this research,the purpose of this paper is to provide a hardware friendly framework to generate sparse features that can be useful for key feature point selection,feature extraction,and descriptor construction.The inspiration is drawn from feature formation processes of the human brain,taking into account the sparse,modular,and hierarchical processing of visual information.Design/methodology/approach-A sparse set of neurons referred as active neurons determines the feature points necessary for high-level vision applications such as object recognition.A psycho-physical mechanism of human low-level vision relates edge detection to noticeable local spatial stimuli,representing this set of active neurons.A cognitive memory cell array-based implementation of low-level vision is proposed.Applications of memory cell in edge detection are used for realizing human vision inspired feature selection and leading to feature vector construction for high-level vision applications.Findings-True parallel architecture and faster response of cognitive circuits avoid time costly and redundant feature extraction steps.Validation of proposed feature vector toward high-level computer vision applications is demonstrated using standard object recognition databases.The comparison against existing state-of-the-art object recognition features and methods shows an accuracy of 97,95,69 percent for Columbia Object Image Library-100,ALOI,and PASCAL VOC 2007 databases indicating an increase from benchmark methods by 5,3 and 10 percent,respectively.Originality/value-A hardware friendly low-level sparse edge feature processing system isproposed for recognizing objects.The edge features are developed based on threshold logic of neurons,and the sparse selection of the features applies a modular and hierarchical processing inspired from the human neural system.展开更多
The Leafminers,representing a diverse group of insects from various genera within the Agromyzidae family,pose a significant threat to spinach(Spinacia oleracea L.)production.This study aimed to identify single nucleot...The Leafminers,representing a diverse group of insects from various genera within the Agromyzidae family,pose a significant threat to spinach(Spinacia oleracea L.)production.This study aimed to identify single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)markers associated with leafminer resistance through a genome-wide association study(GWAS)and to evaluate the prediction accuracy(PA)for selecting resistant spinach using genomic prediction(GP).Using a dataset of 84301 SNPs obtained from whole-genome resequencing,seven GWAS models,including BLINK,FarmCPU,MLM,and MLMM in GAPIT 3,as well as MLM,GLM,and SMR in TASSEL 5,were employed to perform GWAS on a panel of 286 USDA spinach germplasm accessions.Three SNP markers,namely 1_115279256_C_T,3_157082529_C_T,and 4_168510908_T_G on chromosomes 1,3,and 4,respectively,were identified as associated with leafminer resistance.In the 30 kb flanking regions of these markers,four candidate genes(SOV1g031330,SOV1g031340,SOV4g047270,and SOV4g047280),encoding LOB domain-containing protein,KH domain-containing protein,were discovered.Nodulin-like domain-containing protein,and SAM domain-containing protein,were discovered.The PA for leafminer resistance selection was estimated using ten different SNP sets,including two GWAS-derived marker sets(three and 51 SNPs)and eight random marker sets(ranging from 51 to 10 K SNPs)analyzed by seven GP models.The findings emphasized the superior performance of GWAS-derived SNP sets,reaching a PA of up to 0.79 using the cBLUP model.Notably,this research marks the pioneering application of GP in the context of insect resistance,providing a significant advancement in the understanding and management of leafminer resistance in spinach cultivation.展开更多
Ischemic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness:Ischemic retinopathies including diabetic retinopathy(DR),retinopathy of prematurity,and retinal artery and vein occlusion are major causes of visual impairment.Isc...Ischemic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness:Ischemic retinopathies including diabetic retinopathy(DR),retinopathy of prematurity,and retinal artery and vein occlusion are major causes of visual impairment.Ischemic retinopathy can be acute,such as in central or branch retinal artery occlusion,or chronic,such as with DR(Figure 1).Although the causes of retinopathies are diverse,one pathogenic event shared by these conditions is the myeloid cell response to retinal ischemia(Shahror et al.,2024a).展开更多
In this paper,we study a deterministic model with non-autonomous system for mixed cultivars to assess the effect of cultivar susceptibility and seasonal variation on banana Xanthomonas wilt(BXW)disease dynamics.A spec...In this paper,we study a deterministic model with non-autonomous system for mixed cultivars to assess the effect of cultivar susceptibility and seasonal variation on banana Xanthomonas wilt(BXW)disease dynamics.A special case of two cultivars classified as highly susceptible for inflorescence infection(ABB)and less susceptible(AAA)cultivar is considered.The basic reproduction number corresponding to the non-autonomous system is derived and numerically computed to determine disease dynamics.Results showed that the disease dies out whenever the periodic basic reproduction number is less than unity and a periodic solution is obtained when it is greater than one.Results further showed that for both cultivars,the basic reproduction number increases with increasing values of the transmission rates and declines exponentially with increasing values of roguing rates.The critical roguing rate of ABB-genome cultivar was higher than that of AAA-genome cultivars.The peaks in disease prevalence indicate the importance of effective implementation of controls during the rainy season.We conclude that highly susceptible cultivars play an important role in the spread of BXW and control measures should be effectively implemented during the rainy season if BXW is to be eradicated.展开更多
Advances in skeletal muscle omics has expanded our understanding of exercise-induced adaptations at the molecular level.Over the past 2 decades,transcriptome studies in muscle have detailed acute and chronic responses...Advances in skeletal muscle omics has expanded our understanding of exercise-induced adaptations at the molecular level.Over the past 2 decades,transcriptome studies in muscle have detailed acute and chronic responses to resistance,endurance,and concurrent exercise,focusing on variables such as training status,nutrition,age,sex,and metabolic health profile.Multi-omics approaches,such as the integration of transcriptomic and epigenetic data,along with emerging ribosomal RNA sequencing advancements,have further provided insights into how skeletal muscle adapts to exercise across the lifespan.Downstream of the transcriptome,proteomic and phosphoproteomic studies have identified novel regulators of exercise adaptations,while single-cell/nucleus and spatial sequencing technologies promise to evolve our understanding of cellular specialization and communication in and around skeletal muscle cells.This narrative review highlights(a)the historical foundations of exercise omics in skeletal muscle,(b)current research at 3 layers of the omics cascade(DNA,RNA,and protein),and(c)applications of single-cell omics and spatial sequencing technologies to study skeletal muscle adaptation to exercise.Further elaboration of muscle's global molecular footprint using multi-omics methods will help researchers and practitioners develop more effective and targeted approaches to improve skeletal muscle health as well as athletic performance.展开更多
Background:Cyperi Rhizoma,derived from Cyperus rotundus L.,is a widely used medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),with Shandong Province recognized as its geo-authentic habitat.However,the quality of Cyp...Background:Cyperi Rhizoma,derived from Cyperus rotundus L.,is a widely used medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),with Shandong Province recognized as its geo-authentic habitat.However,the quality of Cyperi Rhizoma varies significantly across different regions,potentially influencing its therapeutic efficacy.This study investigates the influence of geographic origin on the chemical composition and overall quality of Cyperi Rhizoma.Methods:A comprehensive approach,including traditional quality assessment,GC-MS(g as c hromatography-m ass s pectrometry),RP-HPLC(r everse p hase h igh-p erformance l iquid c hromatography),and FT-IR(f ourier t ransform i nfrared s pectroscopy)techniques,was employed to analyze Cyperi Rhizoma samples from Shandong Province.These methods examined the physical appearance,chemical profile,and content variations,particularly focusing onα-cyperone.Results:Traditional quality assessments revealed noticeable differences in the external characteristics of the samples.GC-MS analysis identified a variety of unique chemical constituents,while RP-HPLC and FT-IR showed significant variations inα-cyperone content,with higher levels found in Shandong samples.Conclusion:These results demonstrate that geographic origin is a critical determinant of Cyperi Rhizoma quality,with Shandong specimens exhibiting superiorα-cyperone levels and characteristic phytochemical profiles.This validates the geo-authenticity concept in TCM and provides actionable data for developing evidence-based quality standards,suggesting that provenance should be prioritized in medicinal material selection and pharmacopeial specifications.展开更多
During the process of plant protection in agriculture,the distribution and deposition of droplets or fog fields could directly influence the effectiveness and efficiency of spray.The traditional method of measurement ...During the process of plant protection in agriculture,the distribution and deposition of droplets or fog fields could directly influence the effectiveness and efficiency of spray.The traditional method of measurement of the distribution of droplets mainly used water sensitive papers,glass containers or flour to collect data and inverse results,while a new method of measurement based on the principle of reflection of LIDAR was presented.Droplets were the major targets of the study,and four important algorithms were primarily developed,including the recognition and extraction of targets,the superposition in time-domain,the calculation of effective ranges of distribution,and the development of 3D distribution models.Combined with these algorithms,in order to eliminate the environmental noise,the methods of Fuzzy Environment Matching and Secondary Filter were created and utilized.Meanwhile,the statistics was used for analysis of the duration of scanning as well as computation of the distribution,with enough datasets but the minimum length of time.The results of the experiments showed that the relative error of measurement was less than 7%and Relative Standard Deviation was less than 16%,compared with the values of manual measurement.Furthermore,the 3D models were accurate and clarified in the wind-tunnel experiment.The completed system based on this method could adapt to the requirements of both indoor and outdoor detection.Besides,it is capable of the quantized detection of droplet distribution,providing an effective way of tests for spray technique,especially for the research of the application of plant protection by UAVs.展开更多
The soybean E1 gene is a major regulator that plays an important role in flowering time and maturity.However,it remains unclear how cultivars carrying the dominant E1 allele adapt to the higher latitudinal areas of no...The soybean E1 gene is a major regulator that plays an important role in flowering time and maturity.However,it remains unclear how cultivars carrying the dominant E1 allele adapt to the higher latitudinal areas of northern China.We mapped the novel quantitative trait locus QNE1(QTL near E1) for flowering time to the region proximal to E1 on chromosome 6 in two mapping populations.Positional cloning revealed Glyma.06G204300,encoding a TCP-type transcription factor,as a strong candidate gene for QNE1.Association analysis further confirmed that functional single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) at nucleotides 686 and 1,063 in the coding region of Glyma.06G204300 were significantly associated with flowering time.The protein encoded by the candidate gene is localized primarily to the nucleus.Furthermore,soybean and Brassica napus plants overexpressing Glyma.06G204300 exhibited early flowering.We conclude that despite their similar effects on flowering time,QNE1 and E4 may control flowering time through different regulatory mechanisms,based on expression studies and weighted gene co-expression network analysis of flowering time-related genes.Deciphering the molecular basis of QNE1 control of flowering time enriches our knowledge of flowering gene networks in soybean and will facilitate breeding soybean cultivars with broader latitudinal adaptation.展开更多
Upon researching predictive models related toWest Nile virus disease,it is discovered that there are numerous parameters and extensive information in most models,thus contributing to unnecessary complexity.Another cha...Upon researching predictive models related toWest Nile virus disease,it is discovered that there are numerous parameters and extensive information in most models,thus contributing to unnecessary complexity.Another challenge frequently encountered is the lead time,which refers to the period for which predictions are made and often is too short.This paper addresses these issues by introducing a parsimonious method based on ICC curves,offering a logistic distribution model derived from the vector-borne SEIR model.Unlike existing models relying on diverse environmental data,our approach exclusively utilizes historical and present infected human cases(number of new cases).With a yearlong lead time,the predictions extend throughout the 12 months,gaining precision as new data emerge.Theoretical conditions are derived to minimize Bayesian loss,enhancing predictive precision.We construct a Bayesian forecasting probability density function using carefully selected prior distributions.Applying these functions,we predict monthspecific infections nationwide,rigorously evaluating accuracy with probabilistic metrics.Additionally,HPD credible intervals at 90%,95%,and 99%levels is performed.Precision assessment is conducted for HPD intervals,measuring the proportion of intervals that does not include actual reported cases for 2020e2022.展开更多
Remote sensing methods are commonly used to assess and monitor ecosystem conditions in drylands,but accurate classification and detection of ecological state change are challenging due to sparse vegetation cover,high ...Remote sensing methods are commonly used to assess and monitor ecosystem conditions in drylands,but accurate classification and detection of ecological state change are challenging due to sparse vegetation cover,high spatial heterogeneity,and high interannual variability in production.We evaluated whether phenological metrics are effective for distinguishing dryland ecological states using imagery from near-surface camera(PhenoCam)and satellite(Harmonized Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2,hereafter HLS)sources,and how effectiveness varied across wet and dry rainfall years.We analyzed time series over 92 site-years at a site in southern New Mexico undergoing transitions from grassland to shrubland on different soil types.Rainfall was a driver of phenological response across all ecological states,with wet years correlating with later start of season,later peak,higher peak greenness,and shorter growing season.This rainfall response was strongest in shrub-invaded grasslands on sandy soils.PhenoCam estimated significantly earlier start of season than HLS for shrublands on gravelly soils and earlier end of season than HLS for shrub-invaded grasslands on sandy soils.We propose integrating seasonal metrics from high-frequency PhenoCam time series with satellite assessments to improve monitoring efforts in drylands,use phenological differences across variable rainfall years to measure differences in ecosystem function among states,and use the timing and strength of peak greenness of key plant functional groups(grasses in our study site)as an indicator of ecological state change.展开更多
Background Sow longevity and reproductivity are essential in the modern swine industry.Although many studies have focused on the genetic and genomic factors for selection,little is known about the associations between...Background Sow longevity and reproductivity are essential in the modern swine industry.Although many studies have focused on the genetic and genomic factors for selection,little is known about the associations between the microbiome and sows with longevity in reproduction.Results In this study,we collected and sequenced rectal and vaginal swabs from 48 sows,nine of which completed up to four parities(U4P group),exhibiting reproductive longevity.We first identified predictors of sow longevity in the rectum(e.g.,Akkermansia)and vagina(e.g.,Lactobacillus)of the U4P group using RandomForest in the early breeding stage of the first parity.Interestingly,these bacteria in the U4P group showed decreased predicted KEGG gene abundance involved in the biosynthesis of amino acids.Then,we tracked the longitudinal changes of the micro-biome over four parities in the U4P sows.LEfSe analysis revealed parity-associated bacteria that existed in both the rectum and vagina(e.g.,Streptococcus in Parity 1,Lactobacillus in Parity 2,Veillonella in Parity 4).We also identi-fied patterns of bacterial change between the early breeding stage(d 0)and d 110,such as Streptococcus,which was decreased in all four parties.Furthermore,sows in the U4P group with longevity potential also showed better reproductive performance.Finally,we discovered bacterial predictors(e.g.,Prevotellaceae NK3B31 group)for the total number of piglets born throughout the four parities in both the rectum and vagina.Conclusions This study highlights how the rectal and vaginal microbiome in sows with longevity in reproduc-tion changes within four parities.The identification of parity-associated,pregnancy-related,and reproductive performance-correlated bacteria provides the foundation for targeted microbiome modulation to improve animal production.展开更多
While numerous allometric models exist for estimating biomass in trees with single stems,models for multi-stemmed species are scarce.This study presents models for predicting aboveground biomass(AGB)in European hazel(...While numerous allometric models exist for estimating biomass in trees with single stems,models for multi-stemmed species are scarce.This study presents models for predicting aboveground biomass(AGB)in European hazel(Corylus avellana L.),growing in multi-stemmed shrub form.We measured the size and harvested the biomass of 30 European hazel shrubs,drying and weighing their woody parts and leaves separately.AGB(dry mass)and leaf area models were established using a range of predictors,such as the upper height of the shrub,number of shoots per shrub,canopy projection area,stem base diameter of the thickest stem,and the sum of cross-sectional areas of all stems at the stem base.The latter was the best predictor of AGB,but the most practically useful variables,defined as relatively easy to measure by terrestrial or aerial approaches,were the upper height of the shrub and the canopy projection area.The leaf biomass to AGB ratio decreased with the shrub's height.Specific leaf area of shaded leaves increases with shrub height,but that of leaves at the top of the canopy does not change significantly.Given that the upper shrub height and crown projection of European hazel can be estimated using remote sensing approaches,especially UAV and LIDAR,these two variables appear the most promising for effective measurement of AGB in hazel.展开更多
Background Small-scale research or individual seed cotton samples from breeders and geneticists are ginned using laboratory saws or roller gins.The objective of this study was to examine the effects of two different l...Background Small-scale research or individual seed cotton samples from breeders and geneticists are ginned using laboratory saws or roller gins.The objective of this study was to examine the effects of two different laboratory saw ginning(SG)rates and subsequent mechanical blending on fiber high volume instrument(HVI)and advanced fiber information system(AFIS)quality measurement.Seed cottons from diverse upland cotton cultivars,years,and locations were evaluated.Results As the SG rate was increased,HVI results for uniformity index(UI),short fiber index(SFI),and two non-lint parameters(area%,particle count),as well as AFIS results for some properties,were impacted,with significant effects on HVI UI and AFIS short fiber content(SFC).Apparent fiber blending impacts were observed for HVI UI,strength(STR),reflectance(Rd),SFI,and two trashes as well as for all AFIS parameters,with significant effects on HVI Rd and two trashes and all AFIS parameters except the length and maturity measurements.A combination of ginning and blending processes indicated statistically significant interactions for HVI STR,Rd,SFI,and two trashes,and also for AFIS neps,L(w)CV,UQL(w),L(n)CV,SFC(n),L5%(n),immature fiber content(IFC),fineness,total count,dust count,particle count,and visible foreign matter(VFM).Further analysis implied a few impacts of ginning and blending on correlations between HVI and relevant AFIS qualities.Conclusion Despite the observation,the laboratory saw gin and blending methods should continue to be a practical tool to study the differences when all samples are processed identically.展开更多
Heart transplantation is a life-saving procedure for many people throughout the world.Data shows that in 2024,there was an increase in the volume of adult heart transplantation in the United States even as there was a...Heart transplantation is a life-saving procedure for many people throughout the world.Data shows that in 2024,there was an increase in the volume of adult heart transplantation in the United States even as there was a decrease in the volume of pediatric heart transplantation to the lowest volume in a decade.Organ availability remains a major limiting factor affecting transplant volume.This mandates that innovation must take place to increase the supply of donor organs.While some strategies such as donation after cardiac death,hepatitis C virus+transplantation,and ABO-incompatible transplantation have increased the pool for donation,it still falls short of meeting the demand.Other proposed strategies include splitting the donor heart to provide multiple partial heart transplants,domino partial heart transplantation,changes in legislation including opt-out legislation,and xenotransplantation.Further evolution and refinement of these strategies will make a meaningful impact on patients awaiting life-saving heart transplants.展开更多
基金supported by United States Department of Agriculture,Agricultural Research Service(No.58-8042-9-072)United States Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture(No.2019-34263-30552)+1 种基金Management Information System(No.043050)United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service-Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement(No.58-6066-2-030).
文摘Background GOSSYM is a mechanistic,process-based cotton model that can simulate cotton crop growth and development,yield,and fiber quality.Its fiber quality module was developed based on controlled experiments explicitly conducted on the Texas Marker^(-1)(TM1)variety,potentially making its functional equations more aligned with this cultivar.To assess the model’s broader applicability,this study analyzed fiber quality data from 40 upland cotton cultivars,including TM1.The measured fiber quality from all cultivars was then compared with the modelsimulated fiber quality.Results Among the 40 upland cultivars,fiber strength varied from 28.4 cN·tex^(-1) to 34.6 cN·tex^(-1),fiber length ranged from 27.1 mm to 33.3 mm,micronaire value ranged from 2.7 to 4.6,and length uniformity index varied from 82.3%to 85.5%.The model simulated fiber quality closely matched the measured values for TM1,with the absolute percentage error(APE)being less than 0.92%for fiber strength,fiber length,and length uniformity index and 4.7%for micronaire.However,significant differences were observed for the other cultivars.The Pearson correlation coefficient(r)between the measured and simulated values was negative for all fiber quality traits,and Wilmotts’s index of agreement(WIA)was below 0.45,indicating a strong model bias toward TM1 without incorporating cultivar-specific parameters.After incorporating cultivar-specific parameters,the model’s performance improved significantly,with an average r-value of 0.84 and WIA of 0.88.Conclusions The adopted methodology and estimated cultivar-specific parameters improved the model’s simulation accuracy.This approach can be applied to newer cotton cultivars,enhancing the GOSSYM model’s utility and its applicability for agricultural management and policy decisions.
文摘Arsenic(As)contamination is one of the major factors that contribute to environmental pollution,and it plays havoc with sustainability of crop production.Nano-hydroxyapatite(nHAP)can be an effective phosphorus(P)source to cope with As toxicity.The mitigating effects of variable P sources on As toxicity in rice,sunflower,and maize grown in an alkaline soil were evaluated.Arsenic was applied at 0 and 20 mg kg^(-1),and P was applied at 0,50,and 500 mg kg^(-1)in the forms of triple superphosphate(TSP)and nHAP.In addition,the same amount of phosphoric acid was also used in the sunflower and maize experiments with the other P sources.The structural and functional properties of nHAP were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.Stunted growth was observed in rice,and less in sunflower;maize remained unaffected by As toxicity.In the presence of As,TSP and nHAP at their high doses(500 mg kg^(-1))significantly increased the rice dry weight compared with the control(0 mg kg^(-1)).The As concentration in rice was decreased by approximately 25%in the presence of 50 mg kg^(-1)TSP and 500 mg kg^(-1)nHAP.The P treatments had no significant effect on the As concentration in sunflower,whereas the As concentration in maize was increased by 500 mg kg^(-1)TSP.In the absence and presence of As,nHAP at 50 mg kg^(-1)significantly increased rice P concentration,whereas in the presence of As,500 mg kg^(-1)TSP significantly increased P concentration in rice compared with the control.Arsenic had no significant effect on sunflower P concentration,while the maize P concentration was decreased in the 0 mg kg^(-1)P treatment.It can be concluded that TSP and nHAP were effective in alleviating As toxicity in rice and sunflower.Comparative studies are further needed to determine the long-term effects of TSP and nHAP on prevention of As toxicity in field conditions.
基金This research was supported by a USDA-SCRI grant(2017-51181-26830)a USDA-AMS SCMP grant(16SCCMAR0001)the USDA NIFA Hatch project(ARK0VG2018 and ARK02440)to AS.
文摘Commercial production of spinach(Spinacia oleracea L.)is centered in California and Arizona in the US,where downy mildew caused by Peronospora effusa is the most destructive disease.Nineteen typical races of P.effusa have been reported to infect spinach,with 16 identified after 1990.The regular appearance of new pathogen races breaks the resistance gene introgressed in spinach.We attempted to map and delineate the RPF2 locus at a finer resolution,identify linked single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)markers,and report candidate downy mildew resistance(R)genes.Progeny populations segregating for RPF2 locus derived from resistant differential cultivar Lazio were infected using race 5 of P.effusa and were used to study for genetic transmission and mapping analysis in this study.Association analysis performed with low coverage whole genome resequencing-generated SNP markers mapped the RPF2 locus between 0.47 to 1.46 Mb of chromosome 3 with peak SNP(Chr3_1,221,009)showing a LOD value of 61.6 in the GLM model in TASSEL,which was within 1.08 Kb from Spo12821,a gene that encodes CC-NBS-LRR plant disease resistance protein.In addition,a combined analysis of progeny panels of Lazio and Whale segregating for RPF2 and RPF3 loci delineated the resistance section in chromosome 3 between 1.18–1.23 and 1.75–1.76 Mb.This study provides valuable information on the RPF2 resistance region in the spinach cultivar Lazio compared to RPF3 loci in the cultivar Whale.The RPF2 and RPF3 specific SNP markers,plus the resistant genes reported here,could add value to breeding efforts to develop downy mildew resistant cultivars in the future.
基金This research was supported in part by grants from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness MINECO/FEDER Projects RTA 2017-00084-00-00 and CERCA Program Generalitat of Catalonia.
文摘Loss of genetic variability is an increasing challenge in tree breeding programs due to the repeated use of a reduced number of founder genotypes.However,in almond,little is known about the genetic variability in current breeding stocks,although several cases of inbreeding depression have been reported.To gain insights into the genetic structure in modern breeding programs worldwide,marker-verified pedigree data of 220 almond cultivars and breeding selections were analyzed.Inbreeding coefficients,pairwise relatedness,and genetic contribution were calculated for these genotypes.The results reveal two mainstream breeding lines based on three cultivars:“Tuono”,“Cristomorto”,and“Nonpareil”.Descendants from“Tuono”or“Cristomorto”number 76(sharing 34 descendants),while“Nonpareil”has 71 descendants.The mean inbreeding coefficient of the analyzed genotypes was 0.041,with 14 genotypes presenting a high inbreeding coefficient,over 0.250.Breeding programs from France,the USA,and Spain showed inbreeding coefficients of 0.075,0.070,and 0.037,respectively.According to their genetic contribution,modern cultivars from Israel,France,the USA,Spain,and Australia trace back to a maximum of six main founding genotypes.Among the group of 65 genotypes carrying the S f allele for self-compatibility,the mean relatedness coefficient was 0.125,with“Tuono”as the main founding genotype(24.7%of total genetic contribution).The results broaden our understanding about the tendencies followed in almond breeding over the last 50 years and will have a large impact into breeding decision-making process worldwide.Increasing current genetic variability is required in almond breeding programs to assure genetic gain and continuing breeding progress.
基金UC‐KARE,UC‐Davis,and U.S.Department of Agriculture,Agricultural Research Service(USDA–ARS)Collaborative Agreement No.58‐2034‐8‐038。
文摘Background:The development of alfalfa cultivars with improved digestibility may minimize the yield‐quality tradeoff,enabling higher quality with lateharvested forage and possibly higher yields.Methods:An irrigated experiment conducted over 4 years compared 28‐d harvest schedules with 35‐d harvest schedules and an alternating 21‐d and 35‐d schedule.Four conventional cultivars and four cultivars developed for higher digestibility were grown under each schedule.Results:Delayed cutting(35‐d)yields were 16%greater and the staggered treatments were 6%higher than the 28‐d strategy.The nutritive value decreased significantly with the 35‐d schedule,but a“staggered”system provided nutritive value similar to the 28‐d schedule while achieving higher yields.The nutritive value of cultivars was in the order of HarvXtra>Hi‐Gest>conventional cultivars.The HarvXtra but not Hi‐Gest cultivars achieved similar digestibility under the 35‐d cutting schedule compared with conventional cultivars on a 28‐d schedule.Conclusions:This study clearly demonstrates that higher nutritive value cultivars of fall dormancy 6–9 grown with staggered or late cutting schedules can increase yields while maintaining higher nutritive value.The combination of staggered or late schedules with improved cultivars can maximize yields while maintaining the nutritive value of alfalfa,potentially breaking the alfalfa yield‐quality tradeoff.
文摘Purpose-The real-time generation of feature descriptors for object recognition is a challenging problem.In this research,the purpose of this paper is to provide a hardware friendly framework to generate sparse features that can be useful for key feature point selection,feature extraction,and descriptor construction.The inspiration is drawn from feature formation processes of the human brain,taking into account the sparse,modular,and hierarchical processing of visual information.Design/methodology/approach-A sparse set of neurons referred as active neurons determines the feature points necessary for high-level vision applications such as object recognition.A psycho-physical mechanism of human low-level vision relates edge detection to noticeable local spatial stimuli,representing this set of active neurons.A cognitive memory cell array-based implementation of low-level vision is proposed.Applications of memory cell in edge detection are used for realizing human vision inspired feature selection and leading to feature vector construction for high-level vision applications.Findings-True parallel architecture and faster response of cognitive circuits avoid time costly and redundant feature extraction steps.Validation of proposed feature vector toward high-level computer vision applications is demonstrated using standard object recognition databases.The comparison against existing state-of-the-art object recognition features and methods shows an accuracy of 97,95,69 percent for Columbia Object Image Library-100,ALOI,and PASCAL VOC 2007 databases indicating an increase from benchmark methods by 5,3 and 10 percent,respectively.Originality/value-A hardware friendly low-level sparse edge feature processing system isproposed for recognizing objects.The edge features are developed based on threshold logic of neurons,and the sparse selection of the features applies a modular and hierarchical processing inspired from the human neural system.
基金supported by USDA-SCRI(Grant Nos.2017-51181-26830 and 2023-51181-41321)USDA-AMS SCMP(Grant No.16SCCMAR0001)+1 种基金Arkansas Department of Agriculture SCBGP(Grant No.AM22SCBGPAR1130-00)USDA NIFA Hatch project ARK0VG2018 and ARK02440.
文摘The Leafminers,representing a diverse group of insects from various genera within the Agromyzidae family,pose a significant threat to spinach(Spinacia oleracea L.)production.This study aimed to identify single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)markers associated with leafminer resistance through a genome-wide association study(GWAS)and to evaluate the prediction accuracy(PA)for selecting resistant spinach using genomic prediction(GP).Using a dataset of 84301 SNPs obtained from whole-genome resequencing,seven GWAS models,including BLINK,FarmCPU,MLM,and MLMM in GAPIT 3,as well as MLM,GLM,and SMR in TASSEL 5,were employed to perform GWAS on a panel of 286 USDA spinach germplasm accessions.Three SNP markers,namely 1_115279256_C_T,3_157082529_C_T,and 4_168510908_T_G on chromosomes 1,3,and 4,respectively,were identified as associated with leafminer resistance.In the 30 kb flanking regions of these markers,four candidate genes(SOV1g031330,SOV1g031340,SOV4g047270,and SOV4g047280),encoding LOB domain-containing protein,KH domain-containing protein,were discovered.Nodulin-like domain-containing protein,and SAM domain-containing protein,were discovered.The PA for leafminer resistance selection was estimated using ten different SNP sets,including two GWAS-derived marker sets(three and 51 SNPs)and eight random marker sets(ranging from 51 to 10 K SNPs)analyzed by seven GP models.The findings emphasized the superior performance of GWAS-derived SNP sets,reaching a PA of up to 0.79 using the cBLUP model.Notably,this research marks the pioneering application of GP in the context of insect resistance,providing a significant advancement in the understanding and management of leafminer resistance in spinach cultivation.
基金supported by the National Institute of Health/National Eye Institute(NIH/NEI)grants(R00 EY029373,R01 EY035658)to AYFKnights Templar Eye Foundation Research Grant to ESIntramural UAMS Hornick and Sturgis grants to AYF and ES respectively。
文摘Ischemic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness:Ischemic retinopathies including diabetic retinopathy(DR),retinopathy of prematurity,and retinal artery and vein occlusion are major causes of visual impairment.Ischemic retinopathy can be acute,such as in central or branch retinal artery occlusion,or chronic,such as with DR(Figure 1).Although the causes of retinopathies are diverse,one pathogenic event shared by these conditions is the myeloid cell response to retinal ischemia(Shahror et al.,2024a).
基金Mcknight Foundation Grant No.12-508 with additional support from the Roots,Tubers and Banana(RTB)program and Bioversity International.
文摘In this paper,we study a deterministic model with non-autonomous system for mixed cultivars to assess the effect of cultivar susceptibility and seasonal variation on banana Xanthomonas wilt(BXW)disease dynamics.A special case of two cultivars classified as highly susceptible for inflorescence infection(ABB)and less susceptible(AAA)cultivar is considered.The basic reproduction number corresponding to the non-autonomous system is derived and numerically computed to determine disease dynamics.Results showed that the disease dies out whenever the periodic basic reproduction number is less than unity and a periodic solution is obtained when it is greater than one.Results further showed that for both cultivars,the basic reproduction number increases with increasing values of the transmission rates and declines exponentially with increasing values of roguing rates.The critical roguing rate of ABB-genome cultivar was higher than that of AAA-genome cultivars.The peaks in disease prevalence indicate the importance of effective implementation of controls during the rainy season.We conclude that highly susceptible cultivars play an important role in the spread of BXW and control measures should be effectively implemented during the rainy season if BXW is to be eradicated.
基金supported by National Institutes of Health(NIH)Grants AG063944 and AG080047 to KAM.
文摘Advances in skeletal muscle omics has expanded our understanding of exercise-induced adaptations at the molecular level.Over the past 2 decades,transcriptome studies in muscle have detailed acute and chronic responses to resistance,endurance,and concurrent exercise,focusing on variables such as training status,nutrition,age,sex,and metabolic health profile.Multi-omics approaches,such as the integration of transcriptomic and epigenetic data,along with emerging ribosomal RNA sequencing advancements,have further provided insights into how skeletal muscle adapts to exercise across the lifespan.Downstream of the transcriptome,proteomic and phosphoproteomic studies have identified novel regulators of exercise adaptations,while single-cell/nucleus and spatial sequencing technologies promise to evolve our understanding of cellular specialization and communication in and around skeletal muscle cells.This narrative review highlights(a)the historical foundations of exercise omics in skeletal muscle,(b)current research at 3 layers of the omics cascade(DNA,RNA,and protein),and(c)applications of single-cell omics and spatial sequencing technologies to study skeletal muscle adaptation to exercise.Further elaboration of muscle's global molecular footprint using multi-omics methods will help researchers and practitioners develop more effective and targeted approaches to improve skeletal muscle health as well as athletic performance.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.82204610)Qihang Talent Program(L2022046)+1 种基金the Scientific and Technological Innovation Project of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences(CI2021A04013)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Public Welfare Research Institutes(ZZ15-YQ-041 and L2021029).
文摘Background:Cyperi Rhizoma,derived from Cyperus rotundus L.,is a widely used medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),with Shandong Province recognized as its geo-authentic habitat.However,the quality of Cyperi Rhizoma varies significantly across different regions,potentially influencing its therapeutic efficacy.This study investigates the influence of geographic origin on the chemical composition and overall quality of Cyperi Rhizoma.Methods:A comprehensive approach,including traditional quality assessment,GC-MS(g as c hromatography-m ass s pectrometry),RP-HPLC(r everse p hase h igh-p erformance l iquid c hromatography),and FT-IR(f ourier t ransform i nfrared s pectroscopy)techniques,was employed to analyze Cyperi Rhizoma samples from Shandong Province.These methods examined the physical appearance,chemical profile,and content variations,particularly focusing onα-cyperone.Results:Traditional quality assessments revealed noticeable differences in the external characteristics of the samples.GC-MS analysis identified a variety of unique chemical constituents,while RP-HPLC and FT-IR showed significant variations inα-cyperone content,with higher levels found in Shandong samples.Conclusion:These results demonstrate that geographic origin is a critical determinant of Cyperi Rhizoma quality,with Shandong specimens exhibiting superiorα-cyperone levels and characteristic phytochemical profiles.This validates the geo-authenticity concept in TCM and provides actionable data for developing evidence-based quality standards,suggesting that provenance should be prioritized in medicinal material selection and pharmacopeial specifications.
基金financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2016YFD0200700)from China Ministry of Science and Technology,and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.2015TC036).
文摘During the process of plant protection in agriculture,the distribution and deposition of droplets or fog fields could directly influence the effectiveness and efficiency of spray.The traditional method of measurement of the distribution of droplets mainly used water sensitive papers,glass containers or flour to collect data and inverse results,while a new method of measurement based on the principle of reflection of LIDAR was presented.Droplets were the major targets of the study,and four important algorithms were primarily developed,including the recognition and extraction of targets,the superposition in time-domain,the calculation of effective ranges of distribution,and the development of 3D distribution models.Combined with these algorithms,in order to eliminate the environmental noise,the methods of Fuzzy Environment Matching and Secondary Filter were created and utilized.Meanwhile,the statistics was used for analysis of the duration of scanning as well as computation of the distribution,with enough datasets but the minimum length of time.The results of the experiments showed that the relative error of measurement was less than 7%and Relative Standard Deviation was less than 16%,compared with the values of manual measurement.Furthermore,the 3D models were accurate and clarified in the wind-tunnel experiment.The completed system based on this method could adapt to the requirements of both indoor and outdoor detection.Besides,it is capable of the quantized detection of droplet distribution,providing an effective way of tests for spray technique,especially for the research of the application of plant protection by UAVs.
基金supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program(XDA24010105-4,XDA28070000)the Key Deployment Projects(ZDRW-ZS-2019-2)of the Chinese Academy of Sciences+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U21A20215,31771818,31771869)the Young Scientists Group Project(2022QNXZ05)of Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology,Chinese Academy of Sciences。
文摘The soybean E1 gene is a major regulator that plays an important role in flowering time and maturity.However,it remains unclear how cultivars carrying the dominant E1 allele adapt to the higher latitudinal areas of northern China.We mapped the novel quantitative trait locus QNE1(QTL near E1) for flowering time to the region proximal to E1 on chromosome 6 in two mapping populations.Positional cloning revealed Glyma.06G204300,encoding a TCP-type transcription factor,as a strong candidate gene for QNE1.Association analysis further confirmed that functional single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) at nucleotides 686 and 1,063 in the coding region of Glyma.06G204300 were significantly associated with flowering time.The protein encoded by the candidate gene is localized primarily to the nucleus.Furthermore,soybean and Brassica napus plants overexpressing Glyma.06G204300 exhibited early flowering.We conclude that despite their similar effects on flowering time,QNE1 and E4 may control flowering time through different regulatory mechanisms,based on expression studies and weighted gene co-expression network analysis of flowering time-related genes.Deciphering the molecular basis of QNE1 control of flowering time enriches our knowledge of flowering gene networks in soybean and will facilitate breeding soybean cultivars with broader latitudinal adaptation.
文摘Upon researching predictive models related toWest Nile virus disease,it is discovered that there are numerous parameters and extensive information in most models,thus contributing to unnecessary complexity.Another challenge frequently encountered is the lead time,which refers to the period for which predictions are made and often is too short.This paper addresses these issues by introducing a parsimonious method based on ICC curves,offering a logistic distribution model derived from the vector-borne SEIR model.Unlike existing models relying on diverse environmental data,our approach exclusively utilizes historical and present infected human cases(number of new cases).With a yearlong lead time,the predictions extend throughout the 12 months,gaining precision as new data emerge.Theoretical conditions are derived to minimize Bayesian loss,enhancing predictive precision.We construct a Bayesian forecasting probability density function using carefully selected prior distributions.Applying these functions,we predict monthspecific infections nationwide,rigorously evaluating accuracy with probabilistic metrics.Additionally,HPD credible intervals at 90%,95%,and 99%levels is performed.Precision assessment is conducted for HPD intervals,measuring the proportion of intervals that does not include actual reported cases for 2020e2022.
基金supported by appropriated funds to the United States Department of Agriculture(USDA)Agricultural Research Service(ARS)JER project 3050-11210-009-00D and the Jornada Basin Long-Term Ecological Research Program DEB-1832194 and is a contribution from the Long-Term Agroecosystem Research(LTAR)networksupport of PhenoCam Network.The development of PhenoCam has been funded by the Northeastern States Research Cooperative,NSF’s Macrosystems Biology program(awards EF-1065029 and EF-1702697)+3 种基金U.S.Department of Energy’s(DOE’s)Regional and Global Climate Modeling program(award DE-SC0016011)the LTAR network,which is supported by the USDA-ARS(Cooperative agreement 59-3050-2-002)supported by a postdoctoral fellowship funded by the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s SCINet Program and AI Center of Excellence(ARS project numbers 0201-88888-003-000D and 0201-88888-002-000D)administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education(ORISE)through an interagency agreement between the DOE and the USDA.ORISE is managed by ORAU under DOE contract number DE-SC0014664.
文摘Remote sensing methods are commonly used to assess and monitor ecosystem conditions in drylands,but accurate classification and detection of ecological state change are challenging due to sparse vegetation cover,high spatial heterogeneity,and high interannual variability in production.We evaluated whether phenological metrics are effective for distinguishing dryland ecological states using imagery from near-surface camera(PhenoCam)and satellite(Harmonized Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2,hereafter HLS)sources,and how effectiveness varied across wet and dry rainfall years.We analyzed time series over 92 site-years at a site in southern New Mexico undergoing transitions from grassland to shrubland on different soil types.Rainfall was a driver of phenological response across all ecological states,with wet years correlating with later start of season,later peak,higher peak greenness,and shorter growing season.This rainfall response was strongest in shrub-invaded grasslands on sandy soils.PhenoCam estimated significantly earlier start of season than HLS for shrublands on gravelly soils and earlier end of season than HLS for shrub-invaded grasslands on sandy soils.We propose integrating seasonal metrics from high-frequency PhenoCam time series with satellite assessments to improve monitoring efforts in drylands,use phenological differences across variable rainfall years to measure differences in ecosystem function among states,and use the timing and strength of peak greenness of key plant functional groups(grasses in our study site)as an indicator of ecological state change.
基金funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2023YFE0124400)the Specific university discipline construction project (2023B10564001)+1 种基金grants administered by the Arkansas Biosciences Institute and the USDAa core grant (P20GM121293, proteogenomics core)。
文摘Background Sow longevity and reproductivity are essential in the modern swine industry.Although many studies have focused on the genetic and genomic factors for selection,little is known about the associations between the microbiome and sows with longevity in reproduction.Results In this study,we collected and sequenced rectal and vaginal swabs from 48 sows,nine of which completed up to four parities(U4P group),exhibiting reproductive longevity.We first identified predictors of sow longevity in the rectum(e.g.,Akkermansia)and vagina(e.g.,Lactobacillus)of the U4P group using RandomForest in the early breeding stage of the first parity.Interestingly,these bacteria in the U4P group showed decreased predicted KEGG gene abundance involved in the biosynthesis of amino acids.Then,we tracked the longitudinal changes of the micro-biome over four parities in the U4P sows.LEfSe analysis revealed parity-associated bacteria that existed in both the rectum and vagina(e.g.,Streptococcus in Parity 1,Lactobacillus in Parity 2,Veillonella in Parity 4).We also identi-fied patterns of bacterial change between the early breeding stage(d 0)and d 110,such as Streptococcus,which was decreased in all four parties.Furthermore,sows in the U4P group with longevity potential also showed better reproductive performance.Finally,we discovered bacterial predictors(e.g.,Prevotellaceae NK3B31 group)for the total number of piglets born throughout the four parities in both the rectum and vagina.Conclusions This study highlights how the rectal and vaginal microbiome in sows with longevity in reproduc-tion changes within four parities.The identification of parity-associated,pregnancy-related,and reproductive performance-correlated bacteria provides the foundation for targeted microbiome modulation to improve animal production.
基金funded by grants EVA4.0 No.Z.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000803 and ITMS2014+313011W580s provided by EU OP RDEin CZ and SKprojects APVV-18-0086,APVV-19-0387,APVV-20-0168,APVV-20-0215 and APVV-22-0056 from the Slovak Research and Development Agencysupport from the European Research Executive Agency for ReForest,Grant Agreement Nr:101060635
文摘While numerous allometric models exist for estimating biomass in trees with single stems,models for multi-stemmed species are scarce.This study presents models for predicting aboveground biomass(AGB)in European hazel(Corylus avellana L.),growing in multi-stemmed shrub form.We measured the size and harvested the biomass of 30 European hazel shrubs,drying and weighing their woody parts and leaves separately.AGB(dry mass)and leaf area models were established using a range of predictors,such as the upper height of the shrub,number of shoots per shrub,canopy projection area,stem base diameter of the thickest stem,and the sum of cross-sectional areas of all stems at the stem base.The latter was the best predictor of AGB,but the most practically useful variables,defined as relatively easy to measure by terrestrial or aerial approaches,were the upper height of the shrub and the canopy projection area.The leaf biomass to AGB ratio decreased with the shrub's height.Specific leaf area of shaded leaves increases with shrub height,but that of leaves at the top of the canopy does not change significantly.Given that the upper shrub height and crown projection of European hazel can be estimated using remote sensing approaches,especially UAV and LIDAR,these two variables appear the most promising for effective measurement of AGB in hazel.
基金supported by the USDA-ARS Research Project(#6054–44000-080-00D)。
文摘Background Small-scale research or individual seed cotton samples from breeders and geneticists are ginned using laboratory saws or roller gins.The objective of this study was to examine the effects of two different laboratory saw ginning(SG)rates and subsequent mechanical blending on fiber high volume instrument(HVI)and advanced fiber information system(AFIS)quality measurement.Seed cottons from diverse upland cotton cultivars,years,and locations were evaluated.Results As the SG rate was increased,HVI results for uniformity index(UI),short fiber index(SFI),and two non-lint parameters(area%,particle count),as well as AFIS results for some properties,were impacted,with significant effects on HVI UI and AFIS short fiber content(SFC).Apparent fiber blending impacts were observed for HVI UI,strength(STR),reflectance(Rd),SFI,and two trashes as well as for all AFIS parameters,with significant effects on HVI Rd and two trashes and all AFIS parameters except the length and maturity measurements.A combination of ginning and blending processes indicated statistically significant interactions for HVI STR,Rd,SFI,and two trashes,and also for AFIS neps,L(w)CV,UQL(w),L(n)CV,SFC(n),L5%(n),immature fiber content(IFC),fineness,total count,dust count,particle count,and visible foreign matter(VFM).Further analysis implied a few impacts of ginning and blending on correlations between HVI and relevant AFIS qualities.Conclusion Despite the observation,the laboratory saw gin and blending methods should continue to be a practical tool to study the differences when all samples are processed identically.
文摘Heart transplantation is a life-saving procedure for many people throughout the world.Data shows that in 2024,there was an increase in the volume of adult heart transplantation in the United States even as there was a decrease in the volume of pediatric heart transplantation to the lowest volume in a decade.Organ availability remains a major limiting factor affecting transplant volume.This mandates that innovation must take place to increase the supply of donor organs.While some strategies such as donation after cardiac death,hepatitis C virus+transplantation,and ABO-incompatible transplantation have increased the pool for donation,it still falls short of meeting the demand.Other proposed strategies include splitting the donor heart to provide multiple partial heart transplants,domino partial heart transplantation,changes in legislation including opt-out legislation,and xenotransplantation.Further evolution and refinement of these strategies will make a meaningful impact on patients awaiting life-saving heart transplants.
