Rice （Oryza safiva L.） is highly susceptible to the rhizosphere salinity than other cereals. High sensitivity has been ob- served, mainly at vegetative and reproductive stages in rice. It is the duty ...of plant physiologists to comprehend the growth, development, and physiological processes of rice plants under stress. This paper includes the overview of rice growth and developmental processes influenced by salt stress and the regulation pathways involved in these processes. It also includes the promising salt tolerance strategies, i.e., genetic modification techniques, agronomic practices to improve rice growth, yield; and role of phytohormones and their management, especially inhibition of ethylene biosynthesis by using inhibitors 1-methylcyclopropene （1-MCP）. Rice cultivation may be a first choice for improvement of salt tolerance through plant growth regulators and improved cultivation techniques. This study will significantly improve the understanding toward low rice grain yield and poor rice resistance under salt stress and will also stream scientific knowledge for effective utilization of salt affected soils by using different regulating ways.
COVID-19 has spread worldwide since 2019 and is now a severe threat to public health. We previously identified the causative agent as a novel SARS-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that uses human ...angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) as the entry receptor. Here, we successfully developed a SARS-CoV-2 hACE2 transgenic mouse (HFH4-hACE2 in C3B6 mice) infection model. The infected mice generated typical interstitial pneumonia and pathology that were similar to those of COVID-19 patients. Viral quantification revealed the lungs as the major site of infection, although viral RNA could also be found in the eye, heart, and brain in some mice. Virus identical to SARS-CoV-2 in full-genome sequences was isolated from the infected lung and brain tissues. Last, we showed that pre-exposure to SARS-CoV-2 could protect mice from severe pneumonia. Our results show that the hACE2 mouse would be a valuable tool for testing potential vaccines and therapeutics.
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•SARS-CoV-2 could infect HFH4-hACE2 mice and cause death•SARS-CoV-2 infection localizes to lungs of mice and causes typical interstitial pneumonia•Pre-exposure to SARS-CoV-2 protects mice from lethal challenge
A SARS-CoV-2 hACE2 transgenic mouse infection model recapitulates a number of infection symptoms and pathology in COVID-19 patients. Pre-exposure to SARS-CoV-2 was able to protect mice from severe pneumonia.
Summary
The objective of this research was to compare the composition of bacterial microbiota associated with the ruminal content (RC), ruminal epithelium (RE) and faeces of Holstein dairy cows. The ...RC, RE and faecal samples were collected from six Holstein dairy cows when the animals were slaughtered. Community compositions of bacterial 16S rRNA genes from RC, RE and faeces were determined using a MiSeq sequencing platform with bacterial‐targeting universal primers 338F and 806R. UniFrac analysis revealed that the bacterial communities of RC, RE and faeces were clearly separated from each other. Statistically significant dissimilarities were observed between RC and faeces (P = 0.002), between RC and RE (P = 0.003), and between RE and faeces (P = 0.001). A assignment of sequences to taxa showed that the abundance of the predominant phyla Bacteroidetes was lower in RE than in RC, while a significant higher (P < 0.01) abundance of Proteobacteria was present in RE than in RC. When compared with the RC, the abundance of Firmicutes and Verrucomicrobia was higher in faeces, and RC contained a greater abundance of Bacteroidetes and Tenericutes. A higher proportions of Butyrivibrio and Campylobacter dominated RE as compared to RC. The faecal microbiota was less diverse than RC and dominated by genera Turicibacter and Clostridium. In general, these findings clearly demonstrated the striking compositional differences among RC, RE and faeces, indicating that bacterial communities are specific and adapted to the harbouring environment.
Following the West, China exhibits a proactive attitude and conservative actions to developing entrepreneurial universities. This article deconstructs such a paradoxical approach by analysing the ...scholarly literature, policy discourses, and empirical data and their various perceptions of entrepreneurial universities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). We conducted 71 interviews in four case universities to obtain empirical data for triangulation with the literature and policies. Our main research findings include the following: (1) there is a desire to introduce the concept of entrepreneurial universities from the West, along with their characteristics and aims; (2) China’s policy discourse of excellence and pragmatism affects entrepreneurship education and technology transfer; and (3) an emerging identity of entrepreneurial universities is constrained by attitudes and barriers at the institutional level. China’s perceptions and practices reflect a lack of sustainability of and fragmented approach to developing entrepreneurial universities, with strong implications for establishing entrepreneurial universities elsewhere.
Of the two cultivated species of allopolyploid cotton, Gossypium barbadense produces extra-long fibers for the production of superior textiles. We sequenced its genome (AD)2 and performed a ...comparative analysis. We identified three bursts of retrotransposons from 20 million years ago (Mya) and a genome-wide uneven pseudogenization peak at 11-20 Mya, which likely contributed to genomic divergences. Among the 2,483 genes preferentially expressed in fiber, a cell elongation regulator, PRE1, is strikingly At biased and fiber specific, echoing the A-genome origin of spinnable fiber. The expansion of the PRE members implies a genetic factor that underlies fiber elongation. Mature cotton fiber consists of nearly pure cellulose. G. barbadense and G. hirsutum contain 29 and 30 cellulose synthase (CesA) genes, respectively; whereas most of these genes (>25) are expressed in fiber, genes for secondary cell wall biosynthesis exhibited a delayed and higher degree of up-regulation in G. barbadense compared with G. hirsutum, conferring an extended elongation stage and highly active secondary wall deposition during extra-long fiber development. The rapid diversification of sesquiterpene synthase genes in the gossypol pathway exemplifies the chemical diversity of lineage-specific secondary metabolites. The G. barbadense genome advances our understanding of allopolyploidy, which will help improve cotton fiber quality.
•Ra of the ceramic coatings decreases with the decrease of the ratio ra/ca.•Hardness of the ceramic coatings increases with the decrease of the ratio ra/ca.•H and Hout decrease with the decrease of ...the ratio ra/ca while Hin increases.•The proportion of the inner compact layer in the total ceramic coatings increases with the decrease of the ratio ra/ca.•The inner compact layer is compact and uniform.
The micro-arc oxidation (MAO) has increasingly gained attention as a novel and unique technique for depositing thick, dense, and ultra-hard ceramic coatings on aluminum and its alloys substrates. For the MAO technology, discharge parameter, especially the cathodic current, has an important effect on the characteristics of ceramic coatings. But the effects of the ratio of anodic and cathodic currents on properties of the ceramic coatings on Al alloys are rarely studied. This work investigates the effects of the ratio of anodic and cathodic currents under the constant current density on morphology, phase composition, microstructure, and properties of ceramic coatings on 6061 Al alloys. It is found that the ceramic coatings surface roughness Ra is decreasing, and the hardness of ceramic coatings is increasing with the decrease of the ratio. The ceramic coatings are mainly composed of a large amount of α-Al2O3 and γ-Al2O3. The content of α-Al2O3 in the ceramic coatings increases with the decrease of the ratio.
The role of surgery compared with reirradiation in the primary treatment of patients with resectable, locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) who have previously received radiotherapy is a ...matter of debate. In this trial, we compared the efficacy and safety outcomes of salvage endoscopic surgery versus intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in patients with resectable locally recurrent NPC.
This multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial was done in three hospitals in southern China. We included patients aged 18–70 years with a Karnofsky Performance Status score of at least 70 who were histopathologically diagnosed with undifferentiated or differentiated, non-keratinising, locally recurrent NPC with tumours confined to the nasopharyngeal cavity, the post-naris or nasal septum, the superficial parapharyngeal space, or the base wall of the sphenoid sinus. Eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either endoscopic nasopharyngectomy (ENPG group) or IMRT (IMRT group). Randomisation was done manually using a computer-generated random number code and patients were stratified by treatment centre. Treatment group assignment was not masked. The primary endpoint was overall survival, compared between the groups at 3 years. Efficacy analyses were done by intention to treat. Safety analysis was done in patients who received treatment according to the treatment they actually received. This trial was prospectively registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-TRC-11001573, and is currently in follow-up.
Between Sept 30, 2011, and Jan 16, 2017, 200 eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive either ENPG (n=100) or IMRT (n=100). At a median follow-up of 56·0 months (IQR 42·0–69·0), 74 patients had died (29 29% of 100 patients in the ENPG group and 45 45% of 100 patients in the IMRT group). The 3-year overall survival was 85·8% (95% CI 78·9–92·7) in the ENPG group and 68·0% (58·6–77·4) in the IMRT group (hazard ratio 0·47, 95% CI 0·29–0·76; p=0·0015). The most common grade 3 or worse radiation-related late adverse event was pharyngeal mucositis (in five 5% of 99 patients who underwent ENPG and 26 26% of 101 patients who underwent IMRT). Five 5% of the 99 patients who underwent ENPG and 20 20% of the 101 patients who underwent IMRT died due to late toxic effects specific to radiotherapy; attribution to previous radiotherapy or trial radiotherapy is unclear due to the long-term nature of radiation-related toxicity.
Endoscopic surgery significantly improved overall survival compared with IMRT in patients with resectable locally recurrent NPC. These results suggest that ENPG could be considered as the standard treatment option for this patient population, although long-term follow-up is needed to further determine the efficacy and toxicity of this strategy.
Sun Yat-sen University Clinical Research 5010 Program
Understanding the dynamics and underlying mechanism of carbon exchange between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere is one of the key issues in global change research. In this study, we ...quantified the carbon fluxes in different terrestrial ecosystems in China, and analyzed their spatial variation and environmental drivers based on the long‐term observation data of ChinaFLUX sites and the published data from other flux sites in China. The results indicate that gross ecosystem productivity (GEP), ecosystem respiration (ER), and net ecosystem productivity (NEP) of terrestrial ecosystems in China showed a significantly latitudinal pattern, declining linearly with the increase of latitude. However, GEP, ER, and NEP did not present a clear longitudinal pattern. The carbon sink functional areas of terrestrial ecosystems in China were mainly located in the subtropical and temperate forests, coastal wetlands in eastern China, the temperate meadow steppe in the northeast China, and the alpine meadow in eastern edge of Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau. The forest ecosystems had stronger carbon sink than grassland ecosystems. The spatial patterns of GEP and ER in China were mainly determined by mean annual precipitation (MAP) and mean annual temperature (MAT), whereas the spatial variation in NEP was largely explained by MAT. The combined effects of MAT and MAP explained 79%, 62%, and 66% of the spatial variations in GEP, ER, and NEP, respectively. The GEP, ER, and NEP in different ecosystems in China exhibited ‘positive coupling correlation’ in their spatial patterns. Both ER and NEP were significantly correlated with GEP, with 68% of the per‐unit GEP contributed to ER and 29% to NEP. MAT and MAP affected the spatial patterns of ER and NEP mainly by their direct effects on the spatial pattern of GEP.
The presence of multifocal tumors, developed either from intrahepatic metastasis (IM) or multicentric occurrence (MO), is a distinct feature of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Immunogenomic ...characterization of multifocal HCC is important for understanding immune escape in different lesions and developing immunotherapy.
We combined whole-exome/transcriptome sequencing, multiplex immunostaining, immunopeptidomes, T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing and bioinformatic analyses of 47 tumors from 15 patients with HCC and multifocal lesions.
IM and MO demonstrated distinct clonal architecture, mutational spectrum and genetic susceptibility. The immune microenvironment also displayed spatiotemporal heterogeneity, such as less T cell and more M2 macrophage infiltration in IM and higher expression of inhibitory immune checkpoints in MO. Similar to mutational profiles, shared neoantigens and TCR repertoires among tumors from the same patients were abundant in IM but scarce in MO. Combining neoantigen prediction and immunopeptidomes identified T cell-specific neoepitopes and achieved a high verification rate in vitro. Immunoediting mainly occurred in MO but not IM, due to the relatively low immune infiltration. Loss of heterozygosity of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles, identified in 17% of multifocal HCC, hampered the ability of major histocompatibility complex to present neoantigens, especially in IM. An integrated analysis of Immunoscore, immunoediting, TCR clonality and HLA loss of heterozygosity in each tumor could stratify patients into 2 groups based on whether they have a high or low risk of recurrence (p = 0.038).
Our study comprehensively characterized the genetic structure, neoepitope landscape, T cell profile and immunoediting status that collectively shape tumor evolution and could be used to optimize personalized immunotherapies for multifocal HCC.
Immunogenomic features of multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are important for understanding immune-escape mechanisms and developing more effective immunotherapy. Herein, comprehensive immunogenomic characterization showed that diverse genomic structures within multifocal HCC would leave footprints on the immune landscape. Only a few tumors were under the control of immunosurveillance, while others evaded the immune system through multiple mechanisms that led to poor prognosis. Our study revealed heterogeneous immunogenomic landscapes and immune-constrained tumor evolution, the understanding of which could be used to optimize personalized immunotherapies for multifocal HCC.
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•Immunogenomic discrepancies among multifocal HCC vary within patients and shape tumor evolutionary trajectories.•Immune escape involves HLA alterations, M2 macrophage infiltration, inhibitory ligands and immunoediting.•Immune context imprinted by genetics can exert selective pressures.•Immune evasion correlates with tumor regression and can predict postoperative recurrence.•Personalized immunotherapy strategies should be adopted for multifocal HCC to maximize efficacy.
Bacillus cereus
YN917, obtained from a rice leaf with remarkable antifungal activity against
Magnaporthe oryzae
, was reported in our previous study. The present study deciphered the possible ...biocontrol properties. YN917 strain exhibits multiple plant growth-promoting and disease prevention traits, including production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), ACC deaminase, siderophores, protease, amylase, cellulase, and β-1,3-glucanase, and harboring mineral phosphate decomposition activity. The effects of the strain YN917 on growth promotion and disease prevention were further evaluated under detached leaf and greenhouse conditions. The results revealed that
B. cereus
YN917 can promote seed germination and seedling plant growth. The growth status of rice plants was measured from the aspects of rice plumule, radicle lengths, plant height, stem width, root lengths, fresh weights, dry weights, and root activity when YN917 was used as inoculants. YN917 significantly reduced rice blast severity under detached leaf and greenhouse conditions. Genome analysis revealed the presence of gene clusters for biosynthesis of plant promotion and antifungal compounds, such as IAA, tryptophan, siderophores, and phenazine. In summary, YN917 can not only be used as biocontrol agents to minimize the use of chemical substances in rice blast control, but also can be developed as bio-fertilizers to promote the rice plant growth.
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