Associations between multiple sleep dimensions and suicide and non-suicidal self-injury: a cross-sectional study of 3828 Chinese young people.

PURPOSE: Suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) are preventable concerns in young people. Suicidal ideation (SI), suicidal plans (SP) and suicidal attempt (SA) are closely related to death. Sleep problems are known risk factors for suicide and NSSI. This study aimed to explore the relationship between sleep, suicidality and NSSI. METHODS: Participants were 3,828 middle school and college students aged 11-23 years from urban and rural areas of Henan Province. Sleep, suicidal phenomena and NSSI were assessed by applying self-reported questionnaires. Chi-squared tests were utilized to demonstrate the demographic data and sleep variables. The correlation between sleep, suicidality and NSSI were explored by using binary logistic regression, while adjusting socio-demographic characteristics with multivariate models. RESULTS: Sleep variables except mid-sleep time were related to suicidal phenomena (P < 0.05). Greater social jet lag (SJL) [≥ 2 h (h)] was associated with increased risk of SI [Odds ratios (OR) = 1.72, 95% confidence intervals (CI):1.40-2.11], SP (OR = 2.10, 95%CI:1.59-2.79) and SA (OR = 1.50, 95%CI:1.00-2.26). Non-only child participants with SJL (≥ 2 h) had significantly increased odds of SI (OR = 1.75, 95%CI: 1.41-2.18) and SP (OR = 2.25, 95%CI: 1.66-3.05). Eveningness chronotype had the strongest correlation with SI (OR = 3.87, 95%CI:2.78-5.38), SP (OR = 4.72, 95%CI:2.97-7.50), SA (OR = 6.69, 95%CI:3.08-14.52) and NSSI (OR = 1.39, 95%CI:1.02-1.90). CONCLUSION: Overlong or short sleep duration, SJL, eveningness chronotype and other sleep abnormalities (e.g., daytime dysfunction, low sleep efficiency) were associated with a higher prevalence of SI, SP and SA. Additionally, eveningness was significantly correlated with NSSI among young people. These findings suggested the importance of assessing and intervening in sleep habits to prevent suicide and NSSI in young people.

METTL14 decreases FTH1 mRNA stability via m6A methylation to promote sorafenib-induced ferroptosis of cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer (CC) is a prevalent malignancy among women worldwide. This study was designed to investigate the role of METTL14 in sorafenib-induced ferroptosis in CC. METTL14 expression and m6A methylation were determined in CC tissues, followed by analyzes correlating these factors with clinical features. Subsequently, METTL14 was knocked down in CC cell lines, and the effects on cell proliferation, mitochondrial morphology and ferroptosis were assessed using CCK-8, microscopy, and markers associated with ferroptosis, respectively. The regulatory relationship between METTL14 and FTH1 was verified using qRT-PCR and luciferase reporter assays. The functional significance of this interaction was further investigated both in vitro and in vivo by co-transfecting cells with overexpression vectors or shRNAs targeting METTL14 and FTH1 after sorafenib treatment. METTL14 expression and m6A methylation were significantly reduced in CC tissues, and lower METTL14 expression levels were associated with a poorer CC patients' prognosis. Notably, METTL14 expression increased during sorafenib-induced ferroptosis, and METTL14 knockdown attenuated the ferroptotic response induced by sorafenib in CC cells. FTH1 was identified as a direct target of METTL14, with METTL14 overexpression leading to increased m6A methylation of FTH1 mRNA, resulting in reduced stability and expression of FTH1 in CC. Furthermore, FTH1 overexpression or treatment with LY294002 partially counteracted the promotion of sorafenib-induced ferroptosis by METTL14. In vivo xenograft experiments demonstrated that inhibiting METTL14 reduced the anticancer effects of sorafenib, whereas suppression of FTH1 significantly enhanced sorafenib-induced ferroptosis and increased its anticancer efficacy. METTL14 reduces FTH1 mRNA stability through m6A methylation, thereby enhancing sorafenib-induced ferroptosis, which contributes to suppressing CC progression via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Human Adipose Tissue-Derived Stromal Cells Ameliorate Adriamycin-Induced Nephropathy by Promoting Angiogenesis.

This study is to investigate the therapeutical effect and mechanisms of human-derived adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ADSC) in relieving adriamycin (ADR)-induced nephropathy (AN). SD rats were separated into normal group, ADR group, ADR+Losartan group (20 mg/kg), and ADR + ADSC group. AN rats were induced by intravenous injection with adriamycin (8 mg/kg), and 4 d later, ADSC (2 × 105 cells/mouse) were administrated twice with 2 weeks interval time (i.v.). The rats were euthanized after the 6 weeks' treatment. Biochemical indicators reflecting renal injury, such as blood urea nitrogen (BUN), neutrophil gelatinase alpha (NGAL), serum creatinine (Scr), inflammation, oxidative stress, and pro-fibrosis molecules, were evaluated. Results demonstrated that we obtained high qualified ADSCs for treatment determined by flow cytometry, and ADSCs treatment significantly ameliorated renal injuries in DN rats by decreasing BUN, Scr and NGAL in peripheral blood, as well as renal histopathological injuries, especially protecting the integrity of podocytes by immunofluorescence. Furthermore, ADSCs treatment also remarkably reduced the renal inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis in DN rats. Preliminary mechanism study suggested that the ADSCs treatment significantly increased renal neovascularization via enhancing proangiogenic VEGF production. Pharmacodynamics study using in vivo imaging confirmed that ADSCs via intravenous injection could accumulate into the kidneys and be alive at least 2 weeks. In a conclusion, ADSC can significantly alleviate ADR-induced nephropathy, and mainly through reducing oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrosis, as well as enhancing VEGF production.

Interfacial Optimization for AlN/Diamond Heterostructures via Machine Learning Potential Molecular Dynamics Investigation of the Mechanical Properties.

AlN/diamond heterostructures hold tremendous promise for the development of next-generation high-power electronic devices due to their ultrawide band gaps and other exceptional properties. However, the poor adhesion at the AlN/diamond interface is a significant challenge that will lead to film delamination and device performance degradation. In this study, the uniaxial tensile failure of the AlN/diamond heterogeneous interfaces was investigated by molecular dynamics simulations based on a neuroevolutionary machine learning potential (NEP) model. The interatomic interactions can be successfully described by trained NEP, the reliability of which has been demonstrated by the prediction of the cleavage planes of AlN and diamond. It can be revealed that the annealing treatment can reduce the total potential energy by enhancing the binding of the C and N atoms at interfaces. The strain engineering of AlN also has an important impact on the mechanical properties of the interface. Furthermore, the influence of the surface roughness and interfacial nanostructures on the AlN/diamond heterostructures has been considered. It can be indicated that the combination of surface roughness reduction, AlN strain engineering, and annealing treatment can effectively result in superior and more stable interfacial mechanical properties, which can provide a promising solution to the optimization of mechanical properties, of ultrawide band gap semiconductor heterostructures.

DIA-Based Quantitative Proteomics in the Flower Buds of Two Malus sieversii (Ledeb.) M. Roem Subtypes at Different Overwintering Stages.

Malus sieversii is considered the ancestor of the modern cultivated apple, with a high value for apple tolerance breeding. Despite studies on the temperature adaptability of M. sieversii carried out at a physiological response and the genome level, information on the proteome changes of M. sieversii during dormancy is limited, especially about the M. sieversii subtypes. In this study, a DIA-based approach was employed to screen and identify differential proteins involved in three overwintering periods of flower buds in two M. sieversii subtypes (Malus sieversii f. luteolus, GL; Malus sieversii f. aromaticus, HC) with different overwintering adaptabilities. The proteomic analysis revealed that the number of the down-regulated differential expression proteins (DEPs) was obviously higher than that of the up-regulated DEPs in the HC vs. GL groups, especially at the dormancy stage and dormancy-release stage. Through functional classification of those DEPs, the majority of the DEPs in the HC vs. GL groups were associated with protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, oxidative phosphorylation, starch and sucrose metabolism and ribosomes. Through WGCNA analysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle and pyruvate metabolism were highly correlated with the overwintering stages; oxidative phosphorylation and starch and sucrose metabolism were highly correlated with the Malus sieversii subtypes. This result suggests that the down-regulation of DEPs, which are predominantly enriched in these pathways, could potentially contribute to the lower cold tolerance observed in HC during overwintering stage.

Diversity, Variance, and Stability of Root Phenes of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.).

Root phenes are associated with the absorptive efficiency of water and fertilizers. However, there are few reports on the genetic variation and stability of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) root architecture under different environments. In this study, the diversity, variance and stability of root phenes of 89 peanut varieties were investigated with shovelomics (high throughput phenotyping of root system architecture) for two years in both field and laboratory experiments. The root phenes of these peanut genotypes presented rich diversity; for example, the value of total root length (TRL) ranged from 347.84 cm to 1013.80 cm in the field in 2018, and from 55.14 cm to 206.22 cm in the laboratory tests. The root phenes of different genotypes varied differently; for example, the coefficient of variation (CV) of TRL ranged from 24.0 to 83.5 across the two-year field test. Field and laboratory evaluations were highly correlated, especially on lateral root density (LRD) and root angle (RA), and the quadrant graph analysis of LRD and RA implied that 69.7% of the roots belong to the same type. These not only further reflect root phenes stability through different environment but also demonstrate that some root phenes identified at early stage can indicate their status at later growth stage. In addition, root phenes showed a strong correlation with shoot growth, especially root dry weight (RDW), TRL and（nodule number）NN. Thus, laboratory tests in combination with field shovelomics can efficiently screen and select genotypes with contrasting root phenes to optimize water and nutrient management.

A meta-analysis examining the impact of open surgical therapy versus minimally invasive surgery on wound infection in females with cervical cancer.

A meta-analysis study was executed to measure the effect of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and open surgical management (OSM) on wound infection (WI) in female's cervical cancer (CC). A comprehensive literature study till February 2023 was applied and 1675 interrelated investigations were reviewed. The 41 chosen investigations enclosed 10 204 females with CC and were in the chosen investigations' starting point, 4294 of them were utilizing MIS, and 5910 were utilizing OSM. Odds ratio (OR) in addition to 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized to compute the value of the effect of MIS and OSM on WI in female's CC and by the dichotomous approaches and a fixed or random model. The MIS had significantly lower WI (OR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.15-0.35, p < 0.001) with no heterogeneity (I2 = 0%) and postoperative aggregate complications (PACs) (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.37-0.64, p < 0.001) in females with CC and compared OSM. However, MIS compared with OSM in females with CC and had no significant difference in pelvic infection and abscess (PIA) (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.31-1.16, p = 0.13). The MIS had significantly lower WI, and PACs, though, had no significant difference in PIA in females with CC and compared with OSM. However, care must be exercised when dealing with its values because of the low sample size of some of the nominated investigations for the meta-analysis.

Preparation of Monoclonal Antibodies against the Capsid Protein and Development of an Epitope-Blocking Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Detection of the Antibody against Porcine Circovirus 3.

Porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3) is endemic in swine worldwide and causes reproductive disorders, dermatitis and nephrotic syndrome, and multi-organ inflammation. Currently, there is a growing need for rapid and accurate diagnostic methods in disease monitoring. In this study, four monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against PCV3 capsid proteins were prepared (mAbs 2F6, 2G8, 6E2, and 7E3). MAb 7E3, which had the highest binding affinity for the Cap protein, was chosen for further investigation. A novel B cell epitope 110DLDGAW115 was identified using mAb 7E3. An epitope-blocking (EB) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was successfully developed using horseradish-peroxidase-labeled mAb 7E3 to detect PCV3 antibodies in porcine sera. Moreover, the EB-ELISA showed no specific reaction with other porcine disease sera, and the cut-off value was defined as 35%. Compared with the commercial ELISA, the percentage agreement was 95.59%. Overall, we have developed a novel EB-ELISA method that accurately and conveniently detects PCV3 in serum, making it a valuable tool for the clinical detection of PCV3 infection.

Performance Optimization of Ionic Polymer Sensors through Characteristic Regulation of Chemically Prepared Interfacial Electrodes.

Ionic polymer sensors (IPSs) have broad application prospects in health monitoring, environmental perception, and human-computer interaction. The performance of IPSs with chemically prepared electrodes is generally superior to that with physically prepared electrodes due to the area difference of the electric double layer (EDL), but the effects of the electrode characteristics prepared by chemical methods on the performance of IPSs have not been revealed. Therefore, in this paper, we studied the impact of the characteristics of chemically prepared electrodes on the performance of IPSs and realized the performance optimization of IPSs through electrode characteristic regulation. By controlling the matrix surface roughening, immersion reduction plating (IRP) cycles, and electroplating (EP) time, the sensing performances of IPS samples with different electrode interface roughnesses, electrode penetration depths, and surface resistances were investigated, respectively. The experimental results indicated that the response voltage of the IPS can be improved by increasing the electrode interface roughness and the electrode penetration depth and reducing the surface resistance. In addition, we have proven that the sensing performance of the IPS is determined by its intrinsic capacitance characteristics. Through coupling electrode characteristic regulations such as roughening and increasing IRP cycles and EP time, a high-performance IPS was obtained, and its response amplitude was improved by 237.8%. The obtained high-performance sensor has been applied in human motion detection, which has good potential to develop wearable devices with high stability for physiological activity monitoring.

Simulation of thermal hazards risk in octogen based on non-isothermal DSC data.

To evaluate the possible thermal risks associated with the storage of octogen (HMX), non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments were conducted in order to ascertain the kinetic model and parameters governing its thermal decomposition. DSC measurements indicate that HMX underwent a crystal transformation prior to thermal decomposition. A kinetic model for the autocatalytic thermal decomposition process was developed through the analysis of its primary exothermic peaks. Subsequently, numerical simulations were performed using the aforementioned kinetic model to assess the potential thermal explosion hazard of HMX under two distinct storage conditions. The comparison was made between the models of HMX autocatalytic decomposition temperature and thermal explosion critical temperature under two distinct storage conditions. The prediction of the influence of ambient temperature on the critical temperature of thermal explosion is conducted simultaneously. Finally, the thermal hazard parameters of HMX under different package quality are given.

DFT Study of Zn-Modified SnP3: A H2S Gas Sensor with Superior Sensitivity, Selectivity, and Fast Recovery Time.

The adsorption properties of Cu, Ag, Zn, and Cd-modified SnP3 monolayers for H2S have been studied using density functional theory (DFT). Based on phonon spectrum calculations, a structurally stable intrinsic SnP3 monolayer was obtained, based on which four metal-modified SnP3 monolayers were constructed, and the band gaps of the modified SnP3 monolayers were significantly reduced. The adsorption capacity of Cu, Zn-modified SnP3 was better than that of Ag, Cd-modified SnP3. The adsorption energies of Cu-modified SnP3 and Zn-modified SnP3 for H2S were -0.749 eV and -0.639 eV, respectively. In addition, Cu-modified SnP3 exhibited chemisorption for H2S, while Zn-modified SnP3 exhibited strong physisorption, indicating that it can be used as a sensor substrate. Co-adsorption studies showed that ambient gases such as N2, O2, and H2O had little effect on H2S. The band gap change rate of Zn-modified SnP3 after adsorption of H2S was as high as -28.52%. Recovery time studies based on Zn-modified SnP3 showed that the desorption time of H2S was 0.064 s at 298 K. Therefore, Zn-modified SnP3 can be used as a promising sensor substrate for H2S due to its good selectivity, sensitivity, and fast recovery time.

Sleep-Body Composition Relationship: Roles of Sleep Behaviors in General and Abdominal Obesity in Chinese Adolescents Aged 17-22 Years.

This study aimed to investigate the association between sleep behaviors and body composition, which was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) among Chinese adolescents. Overall, 444 students (65.3% females, 19.12 ± 1.177 years) completed questionnaires describing sleep characteristics. Sleep characteristics were derived from subjective means. Body composition was obtained from BIA by InBody 720 (Biospace Co. Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea). Regression models tested relationships between sleep and body composition after adjustment for covariates. Students with weekday nap duration (>30 min/d) exerted higher waist-height ratio (WHtR) (B = 0.013, FDR-corrected p = 0.080). Average sleep duration (≤7 h/d) was linked to more WHtR (B = 0.016, FDR-corrected p = 0.080). People with high social jetlag showed gained visceral fat area (B = 7.475), WHtR (B = 0.015), waist to hip ratio (B = 0.012), fat mass index (B = 0.663) and body fat percentage (B = 1.703) (all FDR-corrected p < 0.1). Individuals with screen time before sleep (>0.5 h) exhibited higher visceral fat area (B = 7.934, FDR-corrected p = 0.064), WHtR (B = 0.017, FDR-corrected p = 0.080), waist to hip ratio (B = 0.016, FDR-corrected p = 0.090), fat mass index (B = 0.902, FDR-corrected p = 0.069) and body fat percentage (B = 2.892, FDR-corrected p = 0.018). We found poor sleep characteristics were closely related to general and abdominal obesity.

Silicon Combined with Melatonin Reduces Cd Absorption and Translocation in Maize.

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic and widely distributed heavy metal pollutants, posing a huge threat to crop production, food security, and human health. Corn is an important food source and feed crop. Corn growth is subject to Cd stress; thus, reducing cadmium stress, absorption, and transportation is of great significance for achieving high yields, a high efficiency, and sustainable and safe corn production. The use of silicon or melatonin alone can reduce cadmium accumulation and toxicity in plants, but it is unclear whether the combination of silicon and melatonin can further reduce the damage caused by cadmium. Therefore, pot experiments were conducted to study the effects of melatonin and silicon on maize growth and cadmium accumulation. The results showed that cadmium stress significantly inhibited the growth of maize, disrupted its physiological processes, and led to cadmium accumulation in plants. Compared to the single treatment of silicon or melatonin, the combined application of melatonin and silicon significantly alleviated the inhibition of the growth of maize seedlings caused by cadmium stress. This was demonstrated by the increased plant heights, stem diameters, and characteristic root parameters and the bioaccumulation in maize seedlings. Under cadmium stress, the combined application of silicon and melatonin increased the plant height and stem diameter by 17.03% and 59.33%, respectively, and increased the total leaf area by 43.98%. The promotion of corn growth is related to the reduced oxidative damage under cadmium stress, manifested in decreases in the malondialdehyde content and relative conductivity and increases in antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase and guaiacol peroxidase activities, as well as in soluble protein and chlorophyll contents. In addition, cadmium accumulation in different parts of maize seedlings and the health risk index of cadmium were significantly reduced, reaching 48.44% (leaves), 19.15% (roots), and 20.86% (health risk index), respectively. Therefore, melatonin and silicon have a significant synergistic effect in inhibiting cadmium absorption and reducing the adverse effects of cadmium toxicity.

Novel compound heterozygous WDR35 variants in a Chinese patient associated with cranioectodermal dysplasia and ectopic testis: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: WDR35 variants are known to cause a rare autosomal recessive disorder-Cranioectodermal dysplasia (CED). The CED patients are commonly present with facial dysmorphisms (frontal bossing and low-set ears), sagittal craniosynostosis, growth retardation, dolichocephaly, skeletal deformities (brachydactyly, terminal hypoplasia of the fingers and narrow thorax), ectodermal abnormalities (sparse hair, and finger/toe nail dysplasia), nephronophthisis, retinal dystrophy and hepatic fibrosis. Diagnosis of CED can be difficult because it presents with high genetic heterogeneity. However, our understanding of the phenotype of CED caused by WDR35 variants could be more explicit, and the correlation between genotype and phenotype needs further improvement. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of the first Chinses patient of CED caused by WDR35 variants, a 3-year-and-3-month-old patient, who was admitted to our hospital with frontal bossing, growth retardation, low set ears, dolichocephaly, sparse hair, and small limbs, abnormal renal function, and moderate anemia. The child showed a novel phenotype of the ectopic testis except for presenting typical CED characteristics, and he was identified with novel compound heterozygous WDR35 variants (c.2590 C > T, p.Gln864* and c.2408_2416del, p.Asn803_Ala805del; NM_001006657). He was given iron succinate and erythropoietin to improve anemia and to inhibit repeated metabolic acidosis and hyperkalemia through acid correction, diuretic, and potassium-lowering treatments. The parents refused to accept renal replacement therapy for their child and were discharged voluntarily. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first reported case of the WDR35 variants that can lead to CED and ectopic testis, which is also the first Chinese patient associated with WDR35 variants. This study expands our understanding of genotype-phenotype association in patients with WDR35 variants and provides genetic counseling for prevention and intervention in this genetic disorder. Neonatal carriers should be followed up for kidney and CED-related diseases to detect warning signs.

Sequential self-assembly of calix[4]resorcinarene-based heterobimetallic Cd8Pt8 nano-Saturn complexes.

A rational molecular design strategy is introduced for selective metal-ligand coordination, enabling the quantitative self-assembly of heterobimetallic nano-Saturn complexes. During the sequential multicomponent self-assembly, the CdII ions and organometallic trans-PtII motifs demonstrate preferential binding to specific ligands. The pre-designed directive interactions allow for precise control over the structural characteristics.

Co-functional Group Conducting Hydrogels Inspired by Ligament for Flexible Electronic Devices.

The application of conductive hydrogels in flexible electronics has attracted much interest in recent years due to their excellent mechanical properties and conductivity. However, the development of conductive hydrogels combining with superior self-adhesion, mechanical properties, antifreeze, and antibacterial activity is still a challenge. Herein, inspired by the structure of the ligament, a multifunctional conductive hydrogel is constructed to address the issue by introducing collagen into the polyacrylamide. The obtained conductive hydrogel exhibits outstanding conductivity (52.08 mS/cm), ultra-stretchability (>2000%), self-adhesion, and antibacterial properties. More significantly, the supercapacitor based on this hydrogel electrolyte achieves a desirable capacitance (514.7 mF·cm-2 at 0.25 mA·cm-2 current density). As a wearable strain sensor, the obtained hydrogel can rapidly detect different movements of the body such as finger, wrist, elbow, and knee joints. It is conceived that this study would provide a potential approach for the preparation of conductive hydrogels in the application of flexible electronics.

An analysis of risk factors for clinically relevant pancreatic fistulas after laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy.

This study aimed to explore the risk factors of clinically relevant pancreatic fistulas (PF) after laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD). The clinical data of 80 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The potential risk factors for PF after LPD were determined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results from the univariate analyses showed that the pancreatic duct diameter (P < .001), pancreatic texture (P < .001), abdominal infection (P = .002), and reoperation (P < .001) were associated with clinically relevant PF. Results from the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the pancreatic duct diameter (P = .002) and pancreatic texture (P = .016) were significant risk factors for clinically relevant PF. Based on this study, the pancreatic duct diameter and pancreatic texture are independent risk factors for clinically relevant PF after LPD.

Oriented Plate-like KNbO3 Polycrystals: Topochemical Mesocrystal Conversion and Piezoelectric and Photocatalytic Responses.

KNbO3 (KN) with a perovskite structure is an outstanding representative of lead-free piezoelectric materials, and its mesocrystals have broad application prospects in the fields of catalysis, energy storage, and conversion. However, the formation conditions of KN mesocrystals reported so far are difficult owing to their high aspect ratio and excellent preferred orientation. In this study, the solvothermal process was used successfully to prepare the flake-like potassium salt of Lindquist hexaniobate (K8Nb6O19·10H2O). Subsequently, the precursor niobate was calcined to prepare two-dimensional (2D) plate-like KN mesocrystals. The formation mechanism of the plate-like KN mesocrystals is further revealed from a paired topochemical mesocrystal conversion of K8Nb6O19·10H2O niobate. Finally, the microscopic piezoelectric and photocatalytic responses of the obtained plate-like KN mesocrystals were investigated. The high piezoelectric coefficient of plate-like KN mesocrystals implies that excellent charge separation promotes the photocatalytic performance of rhodamine B (RhB). This study provides a strategy for the efficient application of 2D oriented materials in the field of piezoelectricity and photocatalysis.

A chromosome-scale genome assembly of Malus domestica, a multi-stress resistant apple variety.

Hanfu apple is the main cultivar grown in the cool areas of Northeast, Northwest, and North China. Here, we proposed a chromosome-level Hanfu genome assembly using PacBio, Illumina and Hi-C sequencing data. The total contig length was 628.99 Mb, with scaffold and contig N50 sizes of 36.18 Mb and 1.25 Mb, respectively. The Hanfu genome had a total of 39,617 genes, of which we predicted the function for 38,816. Evolutionary analysis showed that Hanfu may have undergone a γ-event, a recent whole-genome duplication. A comparative analysis was conducted on the genomes of Hanfu and homozygous triploid HFTH1, which were cultured using the anthers of diploid Hanfu apples. Three variants were identified, including 2,155,184 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 413,108 insertions/deletions (indels), and 7,587 structural variants (SVs).This high-quality genome will provide a reference for the genetic improvement of apples and the breeding of more varieties with high resistance and high quality.

Transcriptome-Based Construction of the Gibberellin Metabolism and Signaling Pathways in Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla, and Functional Characterization of GA20ox and GA2ox in Regulating Plant Development and Abiotic Stress Adaptations.

Gibberellins (GAs) are the key regulators controlling plant growth, wood production and the stress responses in perennial woody plants. The role of GA in regulating the above-mentioned processes in Eucalyptus remain largely unclear. There is still a lack of systematic identification and functional characterization of GA-related genes in Eucalyptus. In this study, a total of 59,948 expressed genes were identified from the major vegetative tissues of the E. grandis × E. urophylla using transcriptome sequencing. Then, the key gene families in each step of GA biosynthesis, degradation and signaling were investigated and compared with those of Arabidopsis, rice, and Populus. The expression profile generated using Real-time quantitative PCR showed that most of these genes exhibited diverse expression patterns in different vegetative organs and in response to abiotic stresses. Furthermore, we selectively overexpressed EguGA20ox1, EguGA20ox2 and EguGA2ox1 in both Arabidopsis and Eucalyptus via Agrobacterium tumefaciens or A. rhizogenes-mediated transformation. Though both Arabidopsis EguGA20ox1- and EguGA20ox2-overexpressing (OE) lines exhibited better vegetative growth performance, they were more sensitive to abiotic stress, unlike EguGA2ox1-OE plants, which exhibited enhanced stress resistance. Moreover, overexpression of EguGA20ox in Eucalyptus roots caused significantly accelerated hairy root initiation and elongation and improved root xylem differentiation. Our study provided a comprehensive and systematic study of the genes of the GA metabolism and signaling and identified the role of GA20ox and GA2ox in regulating plant growth, stress tolerance, and xylem development in Eucalyptus; this could benefit molecular breeding for obtaining high-yield and stress-resistant Eucalyptus cultivars.