Role of KOH-activated biochar on promoting anaerobic digestion of biomass from Pennisetumgianteum.

Pennisetum giganteum is a promising non-food crop feedstock for biogas production due to its high productivity and bio-methane potential. However, the accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFA) usually restricts the conversion efficiency of P. giganteum biomass (PGB) during anaerobic digestion (AD). Here, the role of KOH-activated biochar (KB) in improving the AD efficiency of PGB and the related mechanisms were investigated in detail. The results revealed that KB exhibited excellent electrical conductivity, electron transfer capacity and specific capacitance, which might be related to the decrease in the electron transfer resistance after adding KB to the AD process. In addition, the KB addition not only reinforced metabolisms of energy and VFAs but also promoted the conversion of VFAs to methane, leading to a 52% increase in the methane production rate. Bioinformatics analysis showed that Smithella and Methanosaeta were key players in the KB-mediated AD process of PGB. The stimulatory effect of methanogenesis probably resulted from the establishment of direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) between VFA-oxidizing acetogens (e.g., Smithella) and Methanosaeta. These findings provided a key step to improve the PGB-based AD process.

Association between temperature and mortality: a multi-city time series study in Sichuan Basin, southwest China.

BACKGROUND: There are few multi-city studies on the association between temperature and mortality in basin climates. This study was based on the Sichuan Basin in southwest China to assess the association of basin temperature with non-accidental mortality in the population and with the temperature-related mortality burden. METHODS: Daily mortality data, meteorological and air pollution data were collected for four cities in the Sichuan Basin of southwest China. We used a two-stage time-series analysis to quantify the association between temperature and non-accidental mortality in each city, and a multivariate meta-analysis was performed to obtain the overall cumulative risk. The attributable fractions (AFs) were calculated to access the mortality burden attributable to non-optimal temperature. Additionally, we performed a stratified analyses by gender, age group, education level, and marital status. RESULTS: A total of 751,930 non-accidental deaths were collected in our study. Overall, 10.16% of non-accidental deaths could be attributed to non-optimal temperatures. A majority of temperature-related non-accidental deaths were caused by low temperature, accounting for 9.10% (95% eCI: 5.50%, 12.19%), and heat effects accounted for only 1.06% (95% eCI: 0.76%, 1.33%). The mortality burden attributable to non-optimal temperatures was higher among those under 65 years old, females, those with a low education level, and those with an alternative marriage status. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that a significant association between non-optimal temperature and non-accidental mortality. Those under 65 years old, females, and those with a low educational level or alternative marriage status had the highest attributable burden.

Digital inclusive finance, R&D investment, and green technology innovation nexus.

Green technology innovation is an effective means to achieve high-quality economic development. The impact and mechanism of digital financial inclusion on regional green technology innovation are tested using a threshold regression model and the panel fixed effect model, based on China's provincial Panel data (provincial Panel data are regional annual report data) from 2011 to 2020. According to the study, there is a direct link between local green technology innovation and digital financial inclusion. This paper highlights the differences in their influence by location and usage depth and underscores the necessity of government engagement to improve these characteristics. Information infrastructure needs to be strengthened, especially in areas with gaps. Greater investment in research and development (R&D) indirectly supports regional green technology innovation since it is impacted by digital financial inclusion. Interestingly, a threshold effect becomes most noticeable when digital financial inclusion rises above a particular threshold. Promoting utilizing digital financial inclusion to lessen regional differences in green technology innovation is important.

Diversification of freshwater crabs on the sky islands in the Hengduan Mountains Region, China.

The numerous naturally-fragmented sky islands (SIs) in the Hengduan Mountains Region (HMR) of southwestern China constitute discontinuous landscapes where montane habitats are isolated by dry-hot valleys which have fostered exceptional species diversification and endemicity. However, studies documenting the crucial role of SI on the speciation dynamics of native freshwater organisms are scarce. Here we used a novel set of comprehensive genetic markers (24 nuclear DNA sequences and complete mitogenomes), morphological characters, and biogeographical information to reveal the evolutionary history and speciation mechanisms of a group of small-bodied montane potamids in the genus Tenuipotamon. Our results provide a robustly supported phylogeny, and suggest that the vicariance events of these montane crabs correlate well with the emergence of SIs due to the uplift of the HMR during the Late Oligocene. Furthermore, ancestrally, mountain ridges provided corridors for the dispersal of these montane crabs that led to the colonization of moist montane-specific habitats, aided by past climatic conditions that were the crucial determinants of their evolutionary history. The present results illustrated that the mechanisms isolating SIs are reinforced by the harsh-dry isolating climatic features of dry-hot valleys separating SIs and continue to affect local diversification. This offers insights into the causes of the high biodiversity and endemism shown by the freshwater crabs of the HMR-SIs in southwestern China.

Association of Radiation Dose to the Amygdala-Orbitofrontal Network with Emotion Recognition Task Performance in Patients with Low-Grade and Benign Brain Tumors.

BACKGROUND: Although data are limited, difficulty in social cognition occurs in up to 83% of patients with brain tumors. It is unknown whether cranial radiation therapy (RT) dose to the amygdala-orbitofrontal network can impact social cognition. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 51 patients with low-grade and benign brain tumors planned for cranial RT. We assessed longitudinal changes on an emotion recognition task (ERT) that measures the ability to recognize emotional states by displaying faces expressing six basic emotions and their association with the RT dose to the amygdala-orbitofrontal network. ERT outcomes included the median time to choose a response (ERTOMDRT) or correct response (ERTOMDCRT) and total correct responses (ERTHH). RESULTS: The RT dose to the amygdala-orbitofrontal network was significantly associated with longer median response times on the ERT. Increases in median response times occurred at lower doses than decreases in total correct responses. The medial orbitofrontal cortex was the most important variable on regression trees predicting change in the ERTOMDCRT. DISCUSSION: This is, to our knowledge, the first study to show that off-target RT dose to the amygdala-orbitofrontal network is associated with performance on a social cognition task, a facet of cognition that has previously not been mechanistically studied after cranial RT.

A taxonomic revision of the freshwater crab genus Parvuspotamon Dai & Bo, 1994 (Decapoda, Brachyura, Potamidae), with descriptions of a new genus and two new species.

The taxonomy of the potamid crab genus Parvuspotamon Dai & Bo, 1994, with two species native to Yunnan province of southwest China, is revised based on morphological and molecular data. In order to stabilise the taxonomy of these species (and the genus), two separate genera are hereby designated: Parvuspotamon and Songpotamongen. nov. While Parvuspotamon is restricted to P.yuxiense Dai & Bo, 1994, as a monotypic genus, P.dixuense Naruse, Chia & Zhou, 2018, is transferred to a new genus, Songpotamongen. nov. In addition, two new species of Songpotamongen. nov. are described herein: S.funingensesp. nov. and S.malipoensesp. nov.Songpotamongen. nov. morphologically most resembles Parvuspotamon and Chinapotamon Dai & Naiyanetr, 1994, but can be distinguished by the combination of characters in the carapace, third maxilliped, thoracic sternites, and male first gonopod. The genetic data derived from the mitochondrial 16S rDNA also supports the monophyly of these new taxa.

Description of a New Species of Hua (Gastropoda: Semisulcospiridae) from Guizhou, China, Based on Morphology and Molecular Evidence.

A new species of Hua, Hua qiannanensis sp. nov., is described from Guizhou Province, China, based on morphological and molecular evidence. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: the smooth shell, only three smaller cusps of lateral teeth on the inner side, outer marginal teeth with eight flattened and rounded denticles, an ovipositor pore in females, and BW/H ≥ 80%, B/H = 76.8-82.3%. Molecular analysis based on partial mitochondrial COI and 16S rDNA also supports the systematic position of the new taxon.

Association of Exposure to Biomass Fuels with Occurrence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Rural Western China: A Real-World Nested Case-Control Study.

Background: This study investigated the potential contribution of biomass fuels exposure to the occurrence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in rural areas of western China. Methods: We analyzed data collected between October 2017 and October 2018 from a nested case-control study of individuals at least 40 years old in the general population in Mianyang City, Sichuan Province, China. Demographic information was collected using a custom-designed questionnaire, and lung function was measured using spirometry. We used multivariate logistic regression to explore the possible relationship between biomass fuels exposure and COPD, as well as between other potential risk factors and COPD. Bayes' theorem was used to estimate weights for different COPD risk factors. Results: COPD was newly diagnosed in 500 of the 11398 adults surveyed, corresponding to an incidence of 4.39%. Individuals who were exposed to biomass fuels were at a significantly greater risk of developing COPD than those not exposed (OR 2.58, 95% CI 2.23-3.05). In subgroup analysis, exposure to biomass fuels increased the risk of COPD in men by 1.71 times (95% CI 1.09-2.68) and in women by 2.88 times (95% CI 2.01-3.48), in never-smokers by 2.18 times. Bayesian weights for COPD risk factors were highest for poor kitchen ventilation (W=31.13%) and biomass fuels exposure (W=18.08%). Conclusion: Our data indicate that rural Chinese who are exposed to biomass fuels during cooking or heating are at greater risk of developing COPD. Efforts should be made to strengthen the construction of clean energy infrastructure, so as to reduce the use of biomass fuels and thereby help prevent COPD.

DNA Structure Design Is Improved Using an Artificially Expanded Alphabet of Base Pairs Including Loop and Mismatch Thermodynamic Parameters.

We show that in silico design of DNA secondary structures is improved by extending the base pairing alphabet beyond A-T and G-C to include the pair between 2-amino-8-(1'-ß-d-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl)-imidazo-[1,2-a]-1,3,5-triazin-(8H)-4-one and 6-amino-3-(1'-ß-d-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl)-5-nitro-(1H)-pyridin-2-one, abbreviated as P and Z. To obtain the thermodynamic parameters needed to include P-Z pairs in the designs, we performed 47 optical melting experiments and combined the results with previous work to fit free energy and enthalpy nearest neighbor folding parameters for P-Z pairs and G-Z wobble pairs. We find G-Z pairs have stability comparable to that of A-T pairs and should therefore be included as base pairs in structure prediction and design algorithms. Additionally, we extrapolated the set of loop, terminal mismatch, and dangling end parameters to include the P and Z nucleotides. These parameters were incorporated into the RNAstructure software package for secondary structure prediction and analysis. Using the RNAstructure Design program, we solved 99 of the 100 design problems posed by Eterna using the ACGT alphabet or supplementing it with P-Z pairs. Extending the alphabet reduced the propensity of sequences to fold into off-target structures, as evaluated by the normalized ensemble defect (NED). The NED values were improved relative to those from the Eterna example solutions in 91 of 99 cases in which Eterna-player solutions were provided. P-Z-containing designs had average NED values of 0.040, significantly below the 0.074 of standard-DNA-only designs, and inclusion of the P-Z pairs decreased the time needed to converge on a design. This work provides a sample pipeline for inclusion of any expanded alphabet nucleotides into prediction and design workflows.

DNA Structure Design Is Improved Using an Artificially Expanded Alphabet of Base Pairs Including Loop and Mismatch Thermodynamic Parameters.

We show that in silico design of DNA secondary structures is improved by extending the base pairing alphabet beyond A-T and G-C to include the pair between 2-amino-8-(1'-ß-D-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl)-imidazo-[1,2- a ]-1,3,5-triazin-(8 H )-4-one and 6-amino-3-(1'-ß-D-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl)-5-nitro-(1 H )-pyridin-2-one, simply P and Z. To obtain the thermodynamic parameters needed to include P-Z pairs in the designs, we performed 47 optical melting experiments and combined the results with previous work to fit a new set of free energy and enthalpy nearest neighbor folding parameters for P-Z pairs and G-Z wobble pairs. We find that G-Z pairs have stability comparable to A-T pairs and therefore should be considered quantitatively by structure prediction and design algorithms. Additionally, we extrapolated the set of loop, terminal mismatch, and dangling end parameters to include P and Z nucleotides. These parameters were incorporated into the RNAstructure software package for secondary structure prediction and analysis. Using the RNAstructure Design program, we solved 99 of the 100 design problems posed by Eterna using the ACGT alphabet or supplementing with P-Z pairs. Extending the alphabet reduced the propensity of sequences to fold into off-target structures, as evaluated by the normalized ensemble defect (NED). The NED values were improved relative to those from the Eterna example solutions in 91 of 99 cases where Eterna-player solutions were provided. P-Z-containing designs had average NED values of 0.040, significantly below the 0.074 of standard-DNA-only designs, and inclusion of the P-Z pairs decreased the time needed to converge on a design. This work provides a sample pipeline for inclusion of any expanded alphabet nucleotides into prediction and design workflows.

OsMADS17 simultaneously increases grain number and grain weight in rice.

During the processes of rice domestication and improvement, a trade-off effect between grain number and grain weight was a major obstacle for increasing yield. Here, we identify a critical gene COG1, encoding the transcription factor OsMADS17, with a 65-bp deletion in the 5' untranslated region (5' UTR) presented in cultivated rice increasing grain number and grain weight simultaneously through decreasing mRNA translation efficiency. OsMADS17 controls grain yield by regulating multiple genes and that the interaction with one of them, OsAP2-39, has been characterized. Besides, the expression of OsMADS17 is regulated by OsMADS1 directly. It indicates that OsMADS1-OsMADS17-OsAP2-39 participates in the regulatory network controlling grain yield, and downregulation of OsMADS17 or OsAP2-39 expression can further improve grain yield by simultaneously increasing grain number and grain weight. Our findings provide insights into understanding the molecular basis co-regulating rice yield-related traits, and offer a strategy for breeding higher-yielding rice varieties.

Prediction and early warning model of mixed exposure to air pollution and meteorological factors on death of respiratory diseases based on machine learning.

In recent years, with the repeated occurrence of extreme weather and the continuous increase of air pollution, the incidence of weather-related diseases has increased yearly. Air pollution and extreme temperature threaten sensitive groups' lives, among which air pollution is most closely related to respiratory diseases. Owing to the skewed attention, timely intervention is necessary to better predict and warn the occurrence of death from respiratory diseases. In this paper, according to the existing research, based on a number of environmental monitoring data, the regression model is established by integrating the machine learning methods XGBoost, support vector machine (SVM), and generalized additive model (GAM) model. The distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) is used to set the warning threshold to transform the data and establish the warning model. According to the DLNM model, the cumulative lag effect of meteorological factors is explored. There is a cumulative lag effect between air temperature and PM2.5, which reaches the maximum when the lag is 3 days and 5 days, respectively. If the low temperature and high environmental pollutants (PM2.5) continue to influence for a long time, the death risk of respiratory diseases will continue to rise, and the early warning model based on DLNM has better performance.

The MYB transcription factor Seed Shattering 11 controls seed shattering by repressing lignin synthesis in African rice.

African cultivated rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud.) was domesticated from its wild progenitor species (Oryza barthii) about 3000 years ago. Seed shattering is one of the main constraints on grain production in African cultivated rice, which causes severe grain losses during harvest. By contrast, Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) displays greater resistance to seed shattering, allowing higher grain production. A better understanding in regulation of seed shattering would help to improve harvesting efficiency in African cultivated rice. Here, we report the map-based cloning and characterization of OgSH11, a MYB transcription factor controlling seed shattering in O. glaberrima. OgSH11 represses the expression of lignin biosynthesis genes and lignin deposition by binding to the promoter of GH2. We successfully developed a new O. glaberrima material showing significantly reduced seed shattering by knockout of SH11 in O. glaberrima using CRISPR-Cas9 mediated approach. Identification of SH11 not only supplies a new target for seed shattering improvement in African cultivated rice, but also provides new insights into the molecular mechanism of abscission layer development.

Two new records and an updated checklist of freshwater crabs (Arthropoda, Malacostraca, Decapoda, Potamidae and Gecarcinucidae) from Bangladesh.

The species diversity of freshwater crabs of Bangladesh is poorly known. In this study, Acanthopotamonfungosum (Alcock, 1909) and Maydelliathelphusaedentula (Alcock, 1909) are reported as new records from Bangladesh. The two species were identified through morphology and molecular phylogeny based on 16S rDNA gene sequences. Herein, diagnostic characters of both species are provided respective to close congeners. There is concern over the conservation status of A.fungosum due to its narrow distributional range. In addition, an updated checklist and a key to the freshwater crabs of Bangladesh are provided.

On a new species of freshwater crab from southern China (Crustacea, Brachyura, Potamidae).

A new species of potamid freshwater crab of the genus Indochinamon Yeo & Ng, 2007, is described from a recent collection in Yunnan Province, China. Indochinamon frontatum sp. nov. is distinguished from congeners by the form of the carapace, notably in the features of the convex frontal region, and distinctively structured male first gonopod. Molecular data derived from the mitochondrial 16S rDNA supports the recognition of the taxon.

A software tool for both the maximum tolerated dose and the optimal biological dose finding trials in early phase designs.

Background: Phase I and/or I/II oncology trials are conducted to find the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and/or optimal biological dose (OBD) of a new drug or treatment. In these trials, for cytotoxic agents, the primary aim of the single-agent or drug-combination is to find the MTD with a certain target toxicity rate, while for the cytostatic agents, a more appropriate target is the OBD, which is often defined by considering of toxicity and efficacy simultaneously. Accessible software packages to achieve both these aims are needed. Results: The objective of this study is to develop a software package that can provide tools for both MTD- and OBD-finding trials, which implements the Keyboard design for single-agent MTD-finding trials as reported by Yan et al. (2017), the Keyboard design for drug-combination MTD-finding trials by Pan et al. (2020), and a phase I/II OBD-finding method by Li et al. (2017) in a single R package, called Keyboard. For each of the designs, the Keyboard package provides corresponding functions such as get.boundary ( ⋯ ) for deriving the optimal dose escalation and de-escalation boundaries, select.mtd ( ⋯ ) for selecting the MTD when the trial is completed, select.obd ( ⋯ ) for selecting the OBD at the end of a trial, and get.oc ( ⋯ ) for generating the operating characteristics. Conclusion: The Keyboard R package developed herein provides convenient tools for designing, conducting and analyzing single-agent, drug-combination, phase I/II OBD-finding trials.

Seven new mitochondrial genomes of phytophagous scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and phylogenetic implications.

Among Scarabaeidae, the phytophagous scarab lineage including Melolonthinae, Cetoniinae, Dynastinae, and Rutelinae is considered important due to its members roles as agricultural pests or pollinators. In this study, the near-complete mitochondrial genomes of seven species from six genera in the phytophagous scarab lineage were newly sequenced: Anomala russiventris (Fairmaire, 1893); Apogonia cf. basalis (Moser, 1915); Apogonia splendida (Boheman, 1858); Coenochilus striatus (Westwood, 1874); Trichogomphus mongol (Arrow, 1908); Sophrops subrugatus (Moser, 1921) and Tetraserica leishanica (Liu, Bai, Yang Ahrens, 2014). The complete mitochondrial genomes from the 6 species include 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), and 1 control region, which have a highly conserved gene arrangement, except for Tr. mongol with the rearrangement of 2 tRNA genes (tRNA-Ile and tRNA-Gln), which is a potential identified subfamily-level character of Dynastinae. In order to test whether the mitogenomic data are suited for high-level phylogenetic inferences, the substitution saturation and heterogeneity were analyzed. The results showed no sign that the phylogenetic inferences were biased by substitution saturation or the low heterogeneity of the sequence composition for most pairwise comparisons between the sequences for the entire dataset (13 PCGs) and the amino acids dataset (13 PCGs_AA). Based on the combined data of 13 PCGs and 13 PCGs_AA from the mitogenomes of 37 taxa, the phylogeny of the phytophagous lineage was explored using RAxML and Bayesian methods. The results confirmed that Cetoniinae, Rutelinae, and Dynastinae are monophyletic, and that the latter two are sister groups. Melolonthinae is a paraphyletic group, and its tribes, Diplotaxini, Euchirini, Melolonthini, Rhizotrogini, and Sericini, are a monophyletic group. The subfamily rank of Dynastinae and the tribe rank of Anomalini and Adoretini are supported.

Research Progress of Alumina-Forming Austenitic Stainless Steels: A Review.

The development of Alumina-Forming Austenitic (AFA) stainless steel is reviewed in this paper. As a new type of heat-resistant steel, AFA steel forms an alumina protective scale instead of chromia in a corrosive environment. This work summarizes the types of developed AFA steels and introduces the methods of composition design. Various precipitates appear in the microstructure that directly determine the performance at high temperatures. It was found that alloy elements and the heat treatment process have an important influence on precipitates. In addition, the corrosion resistance of AFA steel in different corrosive environments is systematically analyzed, and the beneficial or harmful effects of different elements on the formation of alumina protective scale are discussed. In this paper, the short-term mechanical properties, creep properties and influencing factors of AFA steel are also analyzed. This work aims to summarize the research status on this subject, analyze the current research results, and explore future research directions.

Nearest neighbor rules for RNA helix folding thermodynamics: improved end effects.

Nearest neighbor parameters for estimating the folding stability of RNA secondary structures are in widespread use. For helices, current parameters penalize terminal AU base pairs relative to terminal GC base pairs. We curated an expanded database of helix stabilities determined by optical melting experiments. Analysis of the updated database shows that terminal penalties depend on the sequence identity of the adjacent penultimate base pair. New nearest neighbor parameters that include this additional sequence dependence accurately predict the measured values of 271 helices in an updated database with a correlation coefficient of 0.982. This refined understanding of helix ends facilitates fitting terms for base pair stacks with GU pairs. Prior parameter sets treated 5'GGUC3' paired to 3'CUGG5' separately from other 5'GU3'/3'UG5' stacks. The improved understanding of helix end stability, however, makes the separate treatment unnecessary. Introduction of the additional terms was tested with three optical melting experiments. The average absolute difference between measured and predicted free energy changes at 37°C for these three duplexes containing terminal adjacent AU and GU pairs improved from 1.38 to 0.27 kcal/mol. This confirms the need for the additional sequence dependence in the model.

The genetic control of glabrous glume during African rice domestication.

African cultivated rice, Oryza glaberrima, is characterized by its glabrous glumes. During domestication, the pubescent glumes of its wild ancestor, Oryza barthii, lost their trichomes, and in this study, we show that glabrous glume 5 (GLAG5), a WUSCHEL-like homeobox transcription factor gene on chromosome 5, is required for trichome development. DNA methylation associated with an hAT transposable element inserted in the promoter region of GLAG5 is found to reduce its expression, leading to the formation of glabrous glumes and leaves in African cultivated rice. Among 82 African cultivated rice varieties investigated in this study, 59 (approximately 71%) lines exhibit glabrous glumes and harbor the hAT transposon; however, the other 23 varieties (approximately 29%), which exhibit pubescent glumes, lack the hAT transposon, indicating that glag5 had undergone strong artificial selection. The πw/πc ratios also show the hAT transposon insertions influence the genetic diversity of an approximately 150-kb interval encompassing the GLAG5 locus. The identification of the GLAG5 gene provides new insights into the domestication of cultivated rice in Africa. We speculate that the selection of varieties with mutations in their promoter regions is an important aspect of crop domestication.