Sulfate-reducing consortium HQ23 stabilizes metal(loid)s and activates biological N-fixation in mixed heavy metal-contaminated soil.

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are used in the remediation of mine pollution; however, the mechanism of stabilizing multiple heavy metal(loid)s by the SRB consortium under low oxygen conditions needs further study. Indigenous microflora were extracted from non-ferrous metal-contaminated soil co-inoculated with enriched SRB consortium and assembled as the HQ23 consortium. The presence of Desulfovibrio (SRB) in HQ23 was confirmed by 16S rRNA sequencing and qPCR. The effects of culture media, dissolved oxygen (DO), SO42¯, and pH on the HQ23 growth rate, and the SO42¯-reducing activity were examined. Data indicates that the HQ23 sustained SRB function under low DO conditions (3.67 ± 0.1 mg/L), but the SRB activity was inhibited at high DO content (5.75 ± 0.39 mg/L). The HQ23 can grow from pH 5 to pH 9 and can decrease mobile or bioavailable Cr, Cu, and Zn concentrations in contaminated soil samples. FTIR revealed that Cu and Cr adsorbed to similar binding sites on bacteria, likely decreasing bacterial Cu toxicity. Increased abundances of DSV (marker for Desulfovibrio) and nifH (N-fixation) genes were observed, as well as an accumulation of nitrate-N content in soils suggesting that HQ23 stimulates the biological N-fixation in soils. This study strongly supports the future application of SRB for the bioremediation of heavy metal-polluted sites.

Recent Advances and Multiple Strategies of Monoterpenoid Overproduction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Yarrowia lipolytica.

Monoterpenoids are an important subclass of terpenoids that play important roles in the energy, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and fragrances fields. With the development of biotechnology, microbial synthesis of monoterpenoids has received great attention. Yeasts such Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Yarrowia lipolytica are emerging as potential hosts for monoterpenoids production because of unique advantages including rapid growth cycles, mature gene editing tools, and clear genetic background. Recently, advancements in metabolic engineering and fermentation engineering have significantly enhanced the accumulation of monoterpenoids in cell factories. First, this review introduces the biosynthetic pathway of monoterpenoids and comprehensively summarizes the latest production strategies, which encompass enhancing precursor flux, modulating the expression of rate-limited enzymes, suppressing competitive pathway flux, mitigating cytotoxicity, optimizing substrate utilization, and refining the fermentation process. Subsequently, this review introduces four representative monoterpenoids. Finally, we outline the future prospects for efficient construction cell factories tailored for the production of monoterpenoids and other terpenoids.

Prognostic significance of pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.

Background: Blood-based immune-inflammation indexes have been widely used to predict survival in a variety of cancers. In this research, we seeked to evaluate a novel immune-inflammation marker, named the pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV), in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) undergoing definitive radiotherapy. Methods: A group of 377 patients with NPC was retrospectived analyzed. Clinical data and laboratory data were collected. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed in order to determine the optimal PIV cut-off value. Survival curves were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method, and prognostic variables were identified using a Cox regression model. Additionally, we developed a nomogram and assessed its acuracy using the concordance index (C-index) and a calibration curve. Results: The optimal PIV cut-off value was 146.24 according to ROC analysis. High PIV was related to poorer Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) score (p = 0.017), more advanced T (p＜0.001) and clinical stages (p = 0.024). In univariate analysis, older Age, poorer ECOG PS, higher Epstein-Barr virus DNA (EBV-DNA), advanced T, N and clinical stage, and higher PIV levels were related to patients' poorer overall survival (OS). Poorer ECOG PS, higher EBV-DNA, later T stage, later clinical stage, and higher PIV were associated with patients' poorer progression free survival (PFS). Male sex and later T stage were associated with patients' poorer locoregional recurrence free survival (LRRFS). Poorer ECOG PS, higher EBV-DNA, later T stage, later clinical stage, and higher PIV were associated with patients' poorer distant metastasis free survival (DMFS). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that PIV was an independent prognostic index for OS (HR 2.231, 95 % CI 1.241-4.011, P = 0.007), PFS (HR 1.664, 95 % CI 1.003-2.760, P = 0.049), and DMFS(HR 2.081, 95 % CI 1.071-4.044, P = 0.031). Nomogram C-indexes for the nomogram of OS were 0.684, and PFS were 0.62, respectively. Survival predictions and actual survival were consistent according to the calibration curve. Conclusions: Pre-treatment PIV is a promising biomarker for predicting survival in patients with NPC.

[Morphological and biochemical characterization during seed development of Notopterygium incisum].

This study aimed to examine the morphological, physiological, and biochemical alterations occurring in Notopterygium incisum seeds throughout their developmental stages, with the objective of establishing a theoretical foundation for the cultivation of superior quality seeds. The experimental materials utilized in this study were the seeds of N. incisum at various stages of development following anthesis. Through the employment of morphological observation and plant physiology techniques, the external morphology, nutrients, enzyme activity, and endogenous hormones of the seeds were assessed. The results revealed a transition in seed coat color from light green to brown during the growth and development of N. incisum seeds. Additionally, as the seeds matured, a decrease in water content was observed. Conversely, starch content exhibited a progressive increase, while sucrose content displayed fluctuations. At 7 days after anthesis, the soluble sugar content attained its highest level of 4.52 mg·g~(-1), whereas the soluble protein content reached its maximum of 6.00 mg·g~(-1) at 14 days after anthesis and its minimum of 4.94 mg·g~(-1) at 42 days after anthesis. The activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD) exhibited an initial increase, followed by a decrease, and eventually reached a stable state. Conversely, the activities of catalase(CAT) and peroxidase(POD) demonstrated a decrease initially, followed by an increase, and then another decrease. The levels of the four endogenous hormones, namely gibberellin(GA_3), zeatin riboside(ZR), auxin(IAA), and abscisic acid(ABA), in the seeds displayed significant variations, with IAA and ABA exhibiting considerably higher levels compared to the other hormones. The levels of plant growth-promoting hormones, represented by IAA, generally displayed a pattern of initial increase followed by a subsequent decrease during seed development, while the plant growth-inhibiting hormone ABA showed the opposite trend. The findings indicate that the alterations in nutrient composition, antioxidant enzyme activity, and endogenous hormone levels vary throughout the maturation process of N. incisum seeds. These observations hold relevance for the cultivation of N. incisum seeds.

Accuracy of dual-energy computed tomography for bone marrow edema in the sacroiliac joint: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This systematic literature review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) of the sacroiliac joint. Bone marrow edema (BME) of the sacroiliac joint is an early manifestation of some diseases, such as ankylosing spondylitis, and is usually examined by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); however, MRI can be intolerable for some patients; hence, numerous studies have analyzed DECT examinations. METHODS: We searched PUBMED, CNKI, and EMBASE in 2023 for articles containing the following terms (DECT) or (DE-CT) or (dual-energy CT) or "dual-energy CT" or (dual-energy computed tomography) and ((sacroiliac joint) or (ankylosing spondylitis) or (sacroiliac arthritis) or (sacroiliitis)). An initial search identified 444 articles, of which 7 met the criteria. Data were extracted to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds for analysis using R software. RESULTS: Out of 291 patients and 577 sacroiliac joints, 429 (74.35%) exhibited BME. All studies used magnetic resonance as the control group. The overall sensitivity and specificity of DECT were 79%, and 92%, respectively, with positive prediction rate of 92.55% and negative prediction rate of 83.73%. CONCLUSION: DECT appears to be a promising diagnostic tool for detecting BME in the sacroiliac joint and can be used as an alternative examination method for patients in whom MRI is contraindicated.

Biotoxicity attenuation and the underlying physicochemical mechanism of biochar aged under simulated natural environmental conditions.

Biochar (BC), with the benefits of enhancing soil fertility, absorbing heavy metals, carbon sequestration, and mitigating the greenhouse effect, has been extensively used for soil remediation. However, the long-term changes in the biotoxicity of BC under complex environmental conditions, which are the key factors influencing the sustainable application of BC in soil, are still unclear. Herein, the biotoxicity of BC aged with various processes, including dry‒wet cycle (DW) aging, freeze‒thaw cycle (FT) aging, ultraviolet irradiation (UV) aging, and low molecular weight organic acid (OA) aging, was systematically investigated by Escherichia coli (E. coli) culture experiments. The toxicity attenuation rate (%·week-1) was proposed to more concisely and clearly compare the influence of different aging methods on BC toxicity. The results indicated that after 5 weeks of aging, the toxicity attenuation rate during the four aging modes followed the order OA aging > FT aging > UV aging > DW aging. BC was nontoxic after 1 week of OA aging, 4 weeks of FT aging, 7 weeks of UV aging, and 14 weeks of DW aging. Spectroscopic characterizations revealed that humic acids in the dissolved organic matter of BC were the main reason for the biotoxicity. In addition, the attenuation of environmentally persistent free radicals on BC during aging was also an important factor for reducing environmental toxicity. This work provides insight into the detoxification mechanism of the BC aging process under ordinary environmental conditions and guidance for the safe application of BC in soil.

Network analysis of emotion regulation and reactivity in adolescents: identifying central components and implications for anxiety and depression interventions.

Difficulties in emotion regulation (DER) and emotion reactivity (ER) are important causes and consequences of psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety, and previous research suggests that there are many interactions between them. Understanding the structure of their relationship, and which components may play a key role, will help provide insight into emotion disorders in adolescents and provide guidance for clinical interventions. In this study, we collected data from 483 adolescents and used network analysis methods to explore the relationship between DER and ER, specifically looking for core nodes. The results showed that "limited access to emotion regulation strategies" was the most central node in the network. Furthermore, by adding nodes for depression and anxiety to this network, we found that anxiety had the strongest relationship with ER, while depression had a stronger relationship with DER. Thus, our findings suggest that for anxiety disorders, the strong association with ER highlights a potentially promising area for intervention development, whereas for depression, the association with DER points to the possibility of clarifying emotions and exploring coping strategies, acknowledging the complex interplay between depressive and anxious symptoms.

The interplay of self-acceptance, social comparison and attributional style in adolescent mental health: cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a pivotal stage vulnerable to mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Although self-acceptance and social comparison are known to affect adolescent mental health, their interactive and moderating roles are not fully understood. AIMS: To explore the role of self-acceptance, social comparison and attributional style in predicting these mental health outcomes among adolescents in clinical settings. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 242 adolescents. Participants completed measures assessing self-acceptance, social comparison, attributional style and mental health outcomes (depression and anxiety). Mediation models and multi-group analysis were used to examine the relationships among these variables. RESULTS: Our findings demonstrated a significant relationship between self-acceptance, social comparison, depression and anxiety (rs = 0.32-0.88). Specifically, lower self-acceptance and higher social comparison were associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety. Additionally, individuals with external attributional tendencies reported higher depression (Cohen's d = 0.61) and anxiety (d = 0.58) compared with those with internal tendencies. Mediation modelling showed that social comparison is a mediator between self-acceptance and depression (effect size -0.04, 95% CI -0.08 to -0.01) and anxiety (effect size -0.06, 95% CI -0.10 to -0.02). Crucially, multi-group analysis showed that the impact of social comparison on mental health outcomes varied significantly based on attributional style. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the importance of considering self-acceptance, social comparison and attributional style in understanding and addressing mental health challenges during adolescence. This could inform the development of targeted interventions to promote mental health and well-being among adolescents. However, further research is needed to confirm these findings in diverse populations and to explore the underlying mechanisms in greater detail.

Probing Two Driven Double Quantum Dots Strongly Coupled to a Cavity.

We experimentally and theoretically study a driven hybrid circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED) system beyond the dispersive coupling regime. Treating the cavity as part of the driven system, we develop a theory applicable to such strongly coupled and to multiqubit systems. The fringes measured for a single driven double quantum dot (DQD)-cavity setting and the enlarged splittings of the hybrid Floquet states in the presence of a second DQD are well reproduced with our model. This opens a path to study Floquet states of multiqubit systems with arbitrarily strong coupling and reveals a new perspective for understanding strongly driven hybrid systems.

Collective Microwave Response for Multiple Gate-Defined Double Quantum Dots.

We fabricate and characterize a hybrid quantum device that consists of five gate-defined double quantum dots (DQDs) and a high-impedance NbTiN transmission resonator. The controllable interactions between DQDs and the resonator are spectroscopically explored by measuring the microwave transmission through the resonator in the detuning parameter space. Utilizing the high tunability of the system parameters and the high cooperativity (Ctotal > 17.6) interaction between the qubit ensemble and the resonator, we tune the charge-photon coupling and observe the collective microwave response changing from linear to nonlinear. Our results present the maximum number of DQDs coupled to a resonator and manifest a potential platform for scaling up qubits and studying collective quantum effects in semiconductor-superconductor hybrid cavity quantum electrodynamics systems.

Case Report: ICIs-induced Guillain-Barré syndrome recovered from mycophenolate mofetil.

The emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has significantly prolonged the survival time of cancer patients. However, it may also lead to various immune-related adverse events (irAEs), including Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare type of irAE. Most GBS patients can recover spontaneously due to the self-limited nature of the disease, but severe cases can result in respiratory failure or even death. Here we report a rare case of GBS occurring in a 58-year-old male patient with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who developed muscle weakness and numbness of the extremities during chemotherapy combined with KN046, a PD-L1/CTLA-4 bispecific antibody. Despite receiving methylprednisolone and γ-globulin, the patient's symptoms did not improve. However, there was significant improvement after treatment with mycophenolate mofetil (MM) capsules, which is not a routine regimen for GBS. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of ICIs-induced GBS that responded well to mycophenolate mofetil instead of methylprednisolone or γ-globulin. Thus, it provides a new treatment option for patients with ICIs-induced GBS.

Assembly processes of bacterial and fungal communities in metal(loid)s smelter soil.

There are few studies on concurrent bacterial and fungal community assembly processes that govern the metal(loid)s biogeochemical cycles at smelters. Here, a systematic investigation combined geochemical characterization, co-occurrence patterns, and assembly mechanisms of bacterial and fungal communities inhabiting soils around an abandoned arsenic smelter. Acidobacteriota, Actinobacteriota, Chloroflexi, and Pseudomonadota were dominant in bacterial communities, whereas Ascomycota and Basidiomycota dominated fungal communities. The random forest model indicated the bioavailable fractions of Fe (9.58%) were the main positive factor driving the beta diversity of bacterial communities, and the total N (8.09%) was the main negative factor for fungal communities. Microbe-contaminant interactions demonstrate the positive impact of the bioavailable fractions of certain metal(loid)s on bacteria (Comamonadaceae and Rhodocyclaceae) and fungi (Meruliaceae and Pleosporaceae). The fungal co-occurrence networks exhibited more connectivity and complexity than the bacterial networks. The keystone taxa were identified in bacterial (including Diplorickettsiaceae, norank_o_Candidatus_Woesebacteria, norank_o_norank_c_AT-s3-28, norank_o_norank_c_bacteriap25, and Phycisphaeraceae) and fungal (including Biatriosporaceae, Ganodermataceae, Peniophoraceae, Phaeosphaeriaceae, Polyporaceae, Teichosporaceae, Trichomeriaceae, Wrightoporiaceae, and Xylariaceae) communities. Meanwhile, community assembly analysis revealed that deterministic processes dominated the microbial community assemblies, which were highly impacted by pH, total N, and total and bioavailable metal(loid) content. This study provides helpful information to develop bioremediation strategies for the mitigation of metal(loid)s-polluted soils.

Active tailings disturb the surrounding vegetation soil fungal community: Diversity, assembly process and co-occurrence patterns.

Soil fungi play an important role in the soil biogeochemical cycle and are important biological indicators for the ecological remediation of mine tailings contaminated sites, therefore understanding the characteristics of soil fungal communities is a key aspect of pollution remediation. However, the influence of biological factors on the characteristics of fungal community diversity; assembly mechanisms and co-occurrence patterns of fungal community along environmental gradients around tailings are not well understood. In this study, soil samples from forest, agriculture and grass around tailings were collected to reveal the assembly mechanisms and co-occurrence patterns of soil fungal community and to quantify the contribution of abiotic and biotic factors to fungal diversity. The results suggest that vegetation types and Cu concentration together drive the distribution of fungal diversity. We found that Exophiala has potential as a biomarker species indicative of restoration progress. Increased environmental stress accelerates the process of changing fungal community assemblages from stochastic to deterministic, while also allowing fungal communities tend to resist tailings-induced environmental stresses through species coexistence. Together, this study provides new insights into the influence of biological factors on fungal community diversity, as well as revealing mechanisms of fungal community assembly and co-occurrence patterns, which are important for understanding the maintenance mechanisms of fungal community diversity and ecological remediation of tailings-contaminated soils.

Biosynthetic pathway of prescription bergenin from Bergenia purpurascens and Ardisia japonica.

Bergenin is a typical carbon glycoside and the primary active ingredient in antitussive drugs widely prescribed for central cough inhibition in China. The bergenin extraction industry relies on the medicinal plant species Bergenia purpurascens and Ardisia japonica as their resources. However, the bergenin biosynthetic pathway in plants remains elusive. In this study, we functionally characterized a shikimate dehydrogenase (SDH), two O-methyltransferases (OMTs), and a C-glycosyltransferase (CGT) involved in bergenin synthesis through bioinformatics analysis, heterologous expression, and enzymatic characterization. We found that BpSDH2 catalyzes the two-step dehydrogenation process of shikimic acid to form gallic acid (GA). BpOMT1 and AjOMT1 facilitate the methylation reaction at the 4-OH position of GA, resulting in the formation of 4-O-methyl gallic acid (4-O-Me-GA). AjCGT1 transfers a glucose moiety to C-2 to generate 2-Glucosyl-4-O-methyl gallic acid (2-Glucosyl-4-O-Me-GA). Bergenin production ultimately occurs in acidic conditions or via dehydration catalyzed by plant dehydratases following a ring-closure reaction. This study for the first time uncovered the biosynthetic pathway of bergenin, paving the way to rational production of bergenin in cell factories via synthetic biology strategies.

Pacemakers and methylprednisolone pulse therapy in immune-related myocarditis concomitant with complete heart block.

Immune-related cardiotoxicities are uncommon but potentially fatal. The study aims to evaluate the value of pacemakers and methylprednisolone pulse therapy (MPPT) to patients with immune-related myocarditis concomitant with complete heart block (CHB). We first reviewed medical records of three patients with immune-related myocarditis concomitant with CHB. For the pooled analysis, we searched related cases with immune-related myocarditis in the PubMed database and screened the patients. Clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes were summarized. Our three patients developed immune-related myocarditis concomitant with CHB about 2 weeks after receiving pembrolizumab, and were successfully treated with pacemaker implantation and high-dose steroids (two received MPPT). In the pooled analysis, 21 cases were eligible with an overall fatality rate of 52%. Patients with pacemakers had a fatality rate of 38%, significantly lower than patients without them (38% vs 100%; p = 0.035), particularly the MPPT subgroup (25% vs 100%; p = 0.019). All five patients without pacemakers expired. Among patients with pacemakers, MPPT patients tended to have an inferior rate compared with non-MPPT patients. Timely pacemaker implantation played a crucial role in improving the outcomes of patients with immune-related myocarditis concomitant with CHB. Patients receiving MPPT appeared to have a better prognosis. Additionally, multidisciplinary consultation should be recommended for better management.

Nedaplatin-based chemotherapy or cisplatin-based chemotherapy combined with intensity-modulated radiotherapy achieve similar efficacy for stage II-IVa nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.

This retrospective study compared the efficacy and safety of nedaplatin-based chemoradiotherapy and cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy in stage II-IVa nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. Patients treated with cisplatin-based or nedaplatin-based chemoradiotherapy between January 2012 and December 2015 were evaluated. Survival was estimated by the Kaplan‒Meier method and compared by the log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazards model. A cohort of 538 NPC patients was enrolled. There were no significant differences in the 5-year overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), locoregional relapse-free survival (LRRFS), or distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) between the cisplatin and nedaplatin groups. During the whole treatment course, patients in the cisplatin group had higher incidences of grade 3‒4 vomiting and anorexia, while patients in the nedaplatin group had higher incidences of grade 3‒4 leucopenia and mucositis. In terms of late toxicities, patients in the cisplatin group had a higher incidence of xerostomia. In multivariate analysis, T stage, N stage, and clinical stage were prognostic factors for OS, PFS, and DMFS. In subgroup analyses, nedaplatin-based chemotherapy achieved comparable treatment outcomes in specific populations stratified by age, sex, ECOG PS score and clinical stage. Cisplatin and nedaplatin are effective choices for stage II-IVa NPC patients, with a different spectrum of side effects.

Simultaneous recovery of nutrients and improving the biodegradability of waste algae hydrothermal liquid.

The ever-increasing algae biomass due to eutrophication brings an enormous destruction and potential threat to the ecosystem. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a potential means converting algae to value added products such as sustainable bioenergy and biomaterials. However, the waste aqueous phase (AP) produced during the HTC of algae biomass needs to be treated carefully in case of the second pollution to environment. In this study, a model microbe (E. coli) was adopted for the microbial pretreatment of AP, by which the bioavailability of AP could be improved, and the nutrients could be reclaimed though struvite precipitation. Three-dimensional fluorescence spectra and GC-MS results illustrated that E. coli pretreatment could convert a large number of organic nitrogenous compounds to ammonia nitrogen by degrading aromatic protein substances and deaminating nitrogenous heterocyclic compounds. Afterwards, a serious of characterizations confirmed that 81.13% of ammonia nitrogen could be recovered as struvite though precipitation. Life cycle assessment indicates the cost of the two-step treatment process was much lower than that of conventional wastewater treatment processes, and is beneficial to environment. This work provides an environment-friendly strategy for the comprehensive utilization of algae, which may contribute to alleviating the algal disasters and bring certain economic benefits though algal treatment.

[Effect of intercropping with Vicia faba on secondary metabolites and rhizosphere soil microbial diversity of Notopterygium incisum].

Rhizosphere soil microbial community and its diversity are important for the structure and functions of medicinal plant ecosystem. In this study, based on high-throughput sequencing, rhizosphere soil microbial diversity, and yield and quality of rhizome and root of Notopterygium incisum cultivated alone(control, CK) and intercropped with Vicia faba(QH) were analyzed, which is expected to lay a basis for optimization of the cultivation mode and ecological production of N. incisum. RESULTS:: showed that the rhizosphere soil bacteria of N. incisum were dominated by Proteobacteria and Bacteroides, with the relative abundance of 50.38%-51.95% and 16.36%-17.02%, respectively. Soil bacterial community at the phylum level was not significantly different between CK and QH. At the genus level, the relative abundance of MND1(3.54%), Spinstomonas(3.50%), Nitrospira(1.53%), and Rhizobacter(1.05%) was significantly higher and that of Gemmatimonas, Candidatus＿Solibacter, and Bryophytes was lower in QH treatment than in the CK. The plant height, leaf length, leaf width, and petiole length of N. incisum in QH treatment was significantly increased and the underground biomass rose by 71.43% compared with those in the CK. Thus, intercropping with V. faba promoted the aboveground growth of N. incisum and improved the yield of root and rhizome. Moreover, the content of notopterol and isoimperatorin increased by 37.96% and 4.09% in QH treatment, respectively, indicating that the intercropping with V. faba boosted the accumulation of secondary metabolites in N. incisum. Pearson's correlation analysis showed that the soil bacterial community was mainly influenced by the soil factors including the content of soil available nutrients, soil organic matter, pH value, and soil water. The influence was in the order: total potassium>total nitrogen>pH>organic matter>available potassium>soil water content>available nitrogen>available phosphorus. In conclusion, the intercropping with V. faba altered soil microenvironment and also increased the yield and accumulation of secondary metabolites of N. incisum, which is a promising ecological planting model for N. incisum.

Metamaterial microbolometers for multi-spectral infrared polarization imaging.

Vanadium oxide (VOx) microbolometers enable the construction of high-performance yet low-cost and uncooled imaging detectors in the mid-infrared spectrum. Typical micro-bolometers are broadband sensors with no polarization selectivity. Thus, imaging detectors based on microbolometers have to use separate spectral and polarization filters to select the target spectral bands and polarization states, and the resulting systems are complicated and bulky. Here we demonstrate that by using metamaterial absorbers (MAs), which are arrays of optical resonators with sub-wavelength dimensions and spacing, we simultaneously tailor the VOx microbolometers' spectral and polarization responses, the need for separate spectral filters and polarizers can be mitigated. The MAs selectively absorb the TM polarization component of the incident light in a spectral band with tunable central wavelength and bandwidth while rejecting the TE polarization component. Two MAs with average TM absorption of 0.8322 in the 5.150 µm - 6.422 µm band and 0.7720 in the 5.867 µm - 7.467 µm band are fabricated, and the polarization extinction ratio (PER) are 42.24 and 42.65, respectively. The MAs are applied to VOx micro-bolometers, and the measured detector responses agree well with the absorption spectra of the MAs. The achieved peak responsivities of two fabricated detectors are 1.0 V/W at 6.0 µm and 1.46 V/W at 6.8 µm, respectively. And the two detectors achieve a D* of 6.94×105 cm·Hz1/2W-1 at 11Hz and 9.95×105 cm·Hz1/2W-1 at 36Hz, respectively. Our work paved the way towards large format room temperature multi-spectral infrared polarization imaging detector.

Transcription factor OsSGL is a regulator of starch synthesis and grain quality in rice.

Starch biosynthesis during rice endosperm development is important for grain quality, as it influences grain size and physico-chemical properties, which together determine rice eating quality. Cereal starch biosynthetic pathways have been comprehensively investigated; however, their regulation, especially by transcriptional repressors remains largely unknown. Here, we identified a DUF1645 domain-containing protein, STRESS_tolerance and GRAIN_LENGTH (OsSGL), that participates in regulating rice starch biosynthesis. Overexpression of OsSGL reduced total starch and amylose content in the endosperm compared with the wild type. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and RNA-seq analyses indicated that OsSGL targets the transcriptional activity of several starch and sucrose metabolism genes. In addition, ChIP-qPCR, yeast one-hybrid, EMSA and dual-luciferase assays demonstrated that OsSGL directly inhibits the expression of SUCROSE SYNTHASE 1 (OsSUS1) in the endosperm. Furthermore, OsSUS1 interacts with OsSGL to release its transcriptional repression ability. Unexpectedly, our results also show that knock down and mutation of OsSGL disrupts the starch biosynthetic pathway, causing lower starch and amylose content. Therefore, our findings demonstrate that accurate control of OsSGL homeostasis is essential for starch synthesis and grain quality. In addition, we revealed the molecular mechanism of OsSGL in regulating starch biosynthesis-related genes, which are required for grain quality.