γ-Tocotrienol enhances autophagy of gastric cancer cells by the regulation of GSK3ß/ß-Catenin pathway.

γ-Tocotrienol (γ-T3) is a major subtype of vitamin E, mainly extracted from palm trees, barley, walnuts, and other plants. γ-T3 has effects on anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, and potential chemoprevention against malignancies. It is still uncompleted to understand the effect of γ-T3 on the inhibitory mechanism of cancer. This study aimed to investigate whether γ-T3 enhanced autophagy in gastric cancer and the underlying molecular mechanism. The results showed that γ-T3 (0-90 µmol/L) inhibited the proliferation of gastric cancer MKN45 cells and AGS cells, and arrested the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase in a dose-dependent manner. Autophagy was increased in MKN45 cells treated with γ-T3 (0-45 µmol/L), especially at a dose of 30 µmol/L for 24 h. These effects were reversed by 3-methyladenine pretreatment. Furthermore, γ-T3 (30 µmol/L) also significantly downregulated the expression of pGSK-3ß (ser9) and ß-catenin protein in MKN45 cells, and γ-T3 (20 mg/kg b.w.) effectively decreased the growth of MKN45 cell xenografts in BABL/c mice. GSK-3ß inhibitor-CHIR-99021 reversed the negative regulation of GSK-3ß/ß-Catenin signaling and autophagy. Our findings indicated that γ-T3 enhances autophagy in gastric cancer cells mediated by GSK-3ß/ß-Catenin signaling, which provides new insights into the role of γ-T3 enhancing autophagy in gastric cancer.

Association of pre-pregnancy low-carbohydrate diet with maternal oral glucose tolerance test levels in gestational diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Limited evidence exists on the correlation between the pre-pregnancy low-carbohydrate (LC) diet and maternal oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) levels during pregnancy. Our aim was to compare the differences in maternal OGTT levels among women who had been diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during pregnancy and adopted different dietary patterns in the pre-pregnancy period. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted in 20 women with GDM who adhering to an LC diet (carbohydrate intake < 130 g/d) during pre-conception (LC/GDM,cases). Control subjects, who were matched in a 4:1 ratio, were 80 women with GDM and conventional diet (Con/GDM,control), and 80 women with conventional diet but without GDM (Con/Healthy,control). Women diagnosed with GDM using 75-g OGTT between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation. We used unadjusted raw data to compare the dietary composition data and biomarkers of the three study groups. RESULTS: The average pre-conception BMI in each group suggested a similar body size from the three study groups(19.12 ± 2.00 LC/GDM, 19.65 ± 2.32 Con/GDM, 19.53 ± 2.30 Con/Healthy; P = 0.647). Compared with the Con/GDM group, the OGTT-1 h and OGTT-2 h values in LC/GDM group were significantly higher (10.36 ± 1.28 mmol/L vs. 9.75 ± 0.98 mmol/L; 9.12 ± 0.98 mmol/L vs. 8.29 ± 1.06 mmol/L). Furthermore, the percentage of women who had more than one abnormal OGTT value (OGTT-1 h and OGTT-2 h) was 40% in the LC/GDM group, which was significantly higher than in the Con/GDM group (16.3%). CONCLUSIONS: We observed a relationship between the pre-pregnancy LC diet and more detrimental OGTT values in patients with GDM. This finding warrants further studies to understand the effect of pre-pregnancy LC diet practice on maternal glucose tolerance.

Vitamin D status and vitamin D deficiency risk factors among pregnancy of Shanghai in China.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing awareness that vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women may be associated with several adverse effects for the mother and newborn. The risks for vitamin D deficiency are unclear. This study was to assess vitamin D nutritional status and vitamin D deficiency risk factors among pregnant women in Shanghai in China. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional study conducted in the Sixth Affiliated People's Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. A total of 953 healthy pregnant women participated, serological examinations and other variables included serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], total blood cholesterol (TCh), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol, triglycerides at the first antenatal visit (12-14 weeks) pregnancy parity and age, body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy, and completed OGTTs test. Associations between vitamin D deficiency and possible predictors (age group, pre-pregnancy BMI, parity, and gestational hyperlipemia) were assessed with a multinomial logistic regression analysis. And also used to investigate the effects of 25(OH)D and the other variables on the occurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: The mean vitamin D level of pregnancy was 16 (a range from 11 to 21) ng/ml, and severe vitamin D deficiency was 31.8% (303); vitamin D deficiency was 40.7% (388); vitamin D insufficiency was 25.1% (239); normal vitamin D was 2.4%(23). Vitamin D deficiency risk factors were age over 30, parity over 2, overweight, obese, and hyperlipemia. The increasing level of vitamin D nutritional status in pregnancy is significantly related to reducing gestational diabetes mellitus. Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for gestational diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSIONS: It is a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Chinese pregnancy in Shanghai. Aging more than 30 years, the parity of more than 2, overweight and obesity, and hyperlipemia are risk factors for vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for gestational diabetes mellitus. Public health strategies to prevent vitamin D deficiency should focus on those risks to promote health pregnancy of Shanghai in China.

Effect of an individualised nutritional intervention on gestational diabetes mellitus prevention in a high-risk population screened by a prediction model: study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The ability of a preventive nutritional intervention to reduce the morbidity of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains controversial. We aim to assess whether GDM can be prevented by an individualised nutritional intervention in pregnant women who are at high risk for the disease based on a prediction model. METHODS/DESIGN: A multicentre randomised controlled trial was designed to assess the efficacy of an individualised nutritional intervention for the prevention of GDM in a high-risk population screened by a novel prediction model in the first trimester. Pregnant women evaluated to be at high risk for GDM by the prediction model at less than 14 gestational weeks will be included. Women with pre-existing chronic diseases, including pregestational diabetes, or who are currently prescribed medicines that affect glucose values will be excluded. Allocation to intervention/control at a ratio of 1:1 will be conducted by a computerized randomisation system. The intervention group will complete 3-day food records and receive 3 individualised nutritional consultations with professional dieticians before the oral glucose tolerance test. The primary intention of the intervention is to promote a long-term healthy dietary pattern and prevent excessive gestational weight gain throughout pregnancy. The control group will complete 3-day food records at designated gestational weeks and receive standard antenatal care according to local health care provisions. The primary outcome is the incidence of GDM according to the criteria of the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Group (IADPSG). A sample of 464 participants will provide 80% power to detect a 30% reduction in GDM incidence (α = 0.05 two tailed, 10% dropout). A total of 500 participants will be recruited. DISCUSSION: To date, this is the first randomised controlled trial aimed to evaluate the protective effect of an individualised nutritional intervention against GDM based on a logistic regression prediction model. Eligibility is not limited to obese women or singleton pregnancies, as in previous studies. This pragmatic trial is expected to provide valuable information on early screening and effective GDM prevention methods. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR, ChiCTR1900026963 . Registered 27 October 2019.

Eating behavior and hypertension in Chinese.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Sakata's Eating Behavior Questionnaire (SEBQ) was developed to grasp distortions and habits in eating behavior. This study aimed to validate the factor structure and psychometrics properties of the Chinese version of the SEBQ, and examine the relationship between eating behavior and hypertension. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Individuals were recruited from a community in Xuhui district in Shanghai. The 30-item SEBQ was used to measure eating behavior. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to evaluate the dimensional structure, logistic regression analysis and mediating effect analysis were conducted to evaluate the relation between SEBQ with obesity and hypertension. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.81 revealed good internal reliability. The values of root mean square error of approximation [90% confidence intervals (CI)], comparative fit index and Tucker-Lewis index were 0.053 (0.050, 0.056), 0.90 and 0.89 for the original version, and 0.062 (0.045, 0.079), 0.91 and 0.86 for the 7-item short form respectively. SEBQ can be used as a predictor of general obesity [odds ratio (OR): 5.14, 95%CI: 2.91-9.08], central obesity (OR: 2.87, 95%CI: 1.86-4.42) and abdominal obesity (OR: 2.59, 95%CI: 1.67-4.01). Its effect on hypertension was mediated by obesity (ß=0.018, p=0.027), and the percentage of mediated effect by obesity between eating behavior and hypertension was 43.9%. CONCLUSIONS: This study shown that SEBQ is a valid and reliable measurement tool to define obesity in Chinese as well and the associations between eating behavior and hypertension was mediated by obesity. Further validation among different populations is needed in the future study.

Optimal design for high-throughput screening via false discovery rate control.

High-throughput screening (HTS) is a large-scale hierarchical process in which a large number of chemicals are tested in multiple stages. Conventional statistical analyses of HTS studies often suffer from high testing error rates and soaring costs in large-scale settings. This article develops new methodologies for false discovery rate control and optimal design in HTS studies. We propose a two-stage procedure that determines the optimal numbers of replicates at different screening stages while simultaneously controlling the false discovery rate in the confirmatory stage subject to a constraint on the total budget. The merits of the proposed methods are illustrated using both simulated and real data. We show that, at the expense of a limited budget, the proposed screening procedure effectively controls the error rate and the design leads to improved detection power.

Historical introgression among the species of Rodgersia (Saxifragaceae) in mountainous forests of southwest China.

In the present study, we used genetic data and ecological niche modelling to explore possible historical introgressions among the species of Rodgersia (Saxifragaceae) in central-southwest China. Markedly differentiated chloroplast haplotypes were found in R. aesculifolia, R. sambucifolia and the Lijiang (LJ) population of R. pinnata, respectively, and differentiated chloroplast haplotypes within each of them showed the closest relationships with haplotypes from different species. ITS cloning did not reveal any shared ribotype between R. aesculifolia and the remaining species. Historical introgression between R. aesculifolia and R. sambucifolia (or R. pinnata) seems to be the most plausible explanation according to the geographical pattern and derivative status of putative introgressed chloroplast haplotypes, and also from morphological evidence. Introgressions were also found among R. sambucifolia, R. pinnata, and R. henricii from Yunnan. Frequent gene exchanges may have promoted the diversity of leaf shapes in this genus. Ecological niche modelling indicated that past secondary contact following range shifts during Pleistocene cold periods may have provided opportunities for ancient introgression between R. aesculifolia and adjacent species.

Kinetics of Molybdenum Adsorption and Desorption in Soils.

Much uncertainty exists in mechanisms and kinetics controlling the adsorption and desorption of molybdenum (Mo) in the soil environment. To investigate the characteristics of Mo adsorption and desorption and predict Mo behavior in the vadose zone, kinetic batch experiments were performed using three soils: Webster loam, Windsor sand and Mahan sand. Adsorption isotherms for Mo were strongly nonlinear for all three soils. Strong kinetic adsorption of Mo by all soils was also observed, where the rate of retention was rapid initially and was followed by slow retention behavior with time. The time-dependent Mo sorption rate was not influenced when constant pH was maintained. Desorption or release results indicated that there were significant fractions of Mo that appeared to be irreversible or slowly reversibly sorbed by Windsor and Mahan. X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) analysis for Windsor and Mahan soils indicated that most of Mo had been bound to kaolinite, whereas Webster had similar XANES features to those of Mo sorbed to montmorillonite. A sequential extraction procedure provided evidence that a significant amount of Mo was irreversibly sorbed. A multireaction model (MRM) with nonlinear equilibrium and kinetic sorption parameters was used to describe the adsorption-desorption kinetics of Mo on soils. Our results demonstrated that a formulation of MRM with two sorption sites (equilibrium and reversible) successfully described Mo adsorption-desorption data for Webster loam, and an additional irreversible reaction phase was recommended to describe Mo desorption or release with time for Windsor and Mahan soils.

Effects of continual burial by sediment on seedling emergence and morphology of Suaeda salsa in the coastal marsh of the Yellow River estuary, China.

A greenhouse study was conducted to determine the impacts of continual burial on seedling emergence and morphology of Suaeda salsa, a pioneer species in the coastal marsh of the Yellow River estuary. From May to June 2012, seeds of S. salsa were artificially buried to depths of 0 cm (no burial), 2 cm (burial of 1 mm d(-1)), 4 cm (burial of 2 mm d(-1)), 6 cm (burial of 3 mm d(-1)), 8 cm (burial of 4 mm d(-1)) and 10 cm (burial of 5 mm d(-1)) in plastic pots filled with unsterilized sediment. Results showed that the percent emergence of seedlings had a significantly negative correlation with continual burial depth (p < 0.001). A large percentage of seedlings emerged from 2, 4 and 6 cm burial depths, with the highest emergence (56.00 ± 6.60%) occurring from 2 cm depth. The shortest emergence time occurred at 4 cm burial depth and seeds buried at 10 cm depth took longer to emerge than those at other depths. At shallow or moderate burials, a stimulatory effect on seedling height, stem diameter, number and length of branch, taproot length and dry mass were observed. With increasing burial depth, root-mass and leaf-mass ratios generally increased while stem-mass ratio decreased. Sediment burial also stimulated part of the hypocotyl below the sediment to form adventitious roots, implying that S. salsa seedlings had a special adaptive strategy in response to the rapid and dynamic burial environment in the coastal marsh of the Yellow River estuary. The use of thin-layer continual burial (1-2 mm d(-1)) to promote the emergence of S. salsa seedlings in degraded marsh was feasible, and our study provided another way for the restoration of S. salsa marsh during the initial stage of seedling establishment and laid a good foundation for the scientific decision-making and management of restoration project at a large scale.

Ironstone and red mud barriers to reduce subsurface movement of soil phosphorus.

Loss of phosphorus in seepage may contribute to eutrophication of downstream water bodies. This study examined the potential use of pedogenic ironstone and untreated red mud (bauxite refining residue) as P sorbents in a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) to mitigate such loss. Effects of ironstone and red mud on P sorption (batch), transport (columns), saturated hydraulic conductivity (KS), and growth of common bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon; greenhouse) were examined. Both materials had sorption maxima of ∼30 mmol P kg-1 or about five times that of a P-enriched sandy soil; however, sorption by red mud greatly increased with decreasing pH. Transport of P through columns of ironstone and red mud (diluted with nonreactive sand) was similar and slower compared to soil + sand. However, when red mud was mixed with soil, increased sorption at lower pH resulted in greater P retention compared to ironstone + soil (76% vs. 13%). Although addition of ironstone to soil up to 20% did not reduce KS, red mud at even 5% did. Soil amendment with red mud increased bermudagrass growth and P uptake. Given long-term neutralization of red mud in an acidic soil and increased P sorption, it may be suitable in a PRB if incorporated at a low rate and/or co-incorporated with a coarser material.

The first high-altitude autotetraploid haplotype-resolved genome assembled (Rhododendron nivale subsp. boreale) provides new insights into mountaintop adaptation.

BACKGROUND: Rhododendron nivale subsp. boreale Philipson et M. N. Philipson is an alpine woody species with ornamental qualities that serve as the predominant species in mountainous scrub habitats found at an altitude of ∼4,200 m. As a high-altitude woody polyploid, this species may serve as a model to understand how plants adapt to alpine environments. Despite its ecological significance, the lack of genomic resources has hindered a comprehensive understanding of its evolutionary and adaptive characteristics in high-altitude mountainous environments. FINDINGS: We sequenced and assembled the genome of R. nivale subsp. boreale, an assembly of the first subgenus Rhododendron and the first high-altitude woody flowering tetraploid, contributing an important genomic resource for alpine woody flora. The assembly included 52 pseudochromosomes (scaffold N50 = 42.93 Mb; BUSCO = 98.8%; QV = 45.51; S-AQI = 98.69), which belonged to 4 haplotypes, harboring 127,810 predicted protein-coding genes. Conjoint k-mer analysis, collinearity assessment, and phylogenetic investigation corroborated autotetraploid identity. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that R. nivale subsp. boreale originated as a neopolyploid of R. nivale and underwent 2 rounds of ancient polyploidy events. Transcriptional expression analysis showed that differences in expression between alleles were common and randomly distributed in the genome. We identified extended gene families and signatures of positive selection that are involved not only in adaptation to the mountaintop ecosystem (response to stress and developmental regulation) but also in autotetraploid reproduction (meiotic stabilization). Additionally, the expression levels of the (group VII ethylene response factor transcription factors) ERF VIIs were significantly higher than the mean global gene expression. We suspect that these changes have enabled the success of this species at high altitudes. CONCLUSIONS: We assembled the first high-altitude autopolyploid genome and achieved chromosome-level assembly within the subgenus Rhododendron. In addition, a high-altitude adaptation strategy of R. nivale subsp. boreale was reasonably speculated. This study provides valuable data for the exploration of alpine mountaintop adaptations and the correlation between extreme environments and species polyploidization.

Effects of the fibroblast activation protein on the invasion and migration of gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of the most important components of tumor microenvironment. CAFs are believed to play an important role in tumor invasion and metastasis. Recently, fibroblast activation protein (FAP), a type II integral membrane glycoprotein belonging to the serine protease family, has emerged as a specific marker of CAFs. FAP was overexpressed in stromal fibroblasts of solid malignancies, however, the role of FAP on the process of invasion and metastasis of gastric carcinomas is still unknown. METHODS: Expression of FAP level was detected by immunohistochemistry in 60 gastric cancer surgical specimens (28 with omentum metastasis and 32 without), 20 normal human gastric tissues and omentum of 10 nonneoplastic gastric diseases. Fibroblasts were isolated from patient's tissues in the distal normal zones and tumor zones respectively, which were correspondingly designated as normal zone fibroblasts (NFs) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). To explore the effects of FAP on NFs or CAFs, fibroblasts were co-cultured with human gastric cancer cell line MGC-803 cells. The ability of invasion and migration of MGC-803 cells was evaluated after transfecting FAP siRNA into CAFs of gastric carcinomas. RESULTS: We investigated the level of expression of FAP in surgical specimens, and found overexpressed in CAFs and non-expressed in NFs. Expression of FAP level in CAFs is significantly associated with Lauren classification,the degree of differentiation, depth of tumor invasion and TNM stage, but it is not correlated to age and gender in gastric carcinoma patients. There was positive correlation between the FAP level with metastasis to the omentum(p < 0.05, R(2) = 0.2736, p < 0.05, R(2) = 0.1479). In addition, the invasion and migration abilities of MGC-803 cells were significantly increased when cells were co-cultured with CAFs. On the other hand, invasion and migration abilities were significantly decreased by 46.9 and 50.3%, respectively, after knocking down FAP in CAFs.Further, NFs did not have appreciable effect on the invasion and migration of MGC-803 cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that FAP was overexpressed in CAFs of gastric carcinomas, and siRNA-mediated knock down of FAP significantly suppressed invasion and migration of MGC-803 cells. FAP may be an important regulator in the invasion and migration of gastric cancer and may provide a novel therapeutic target in gastric carcinomas.

ß-Ionone arrests cell cycle of gastric carcinoma cancer cells by a MAPK pathway.

ß-Ionone is an end ring analog of ß-carotenoid which has been shown to possess potent anti-proliferative activity both in vitro and in vivo. To investigate the possible inhibitory effects of ß-ionone, we studied cell growth characteristics, DNA synthesis, cell cycle progression, as well as mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) pathways in the human gastric adenocarcinoma cancer cell line (SGC-7901). Our results show that cell growth and DNA synthesis were inhibited, and the cell cycle was arrested at the G0/G1 phase in a dose-dependent manner in cells treated with ß-ionone (25, 50, 100 and 200 µmol/L) for 24 h. We found that the ß-ionone significantly decreased the extracellular signal-regulated kinase protein expression and significantly increased the levels of p38 and Jun-amino-terminal kinase protein expression (P < 0.01). ß-Ionone also inhibited cell cycle-related proteins of Cdk4, Cyclin B1, D1 and increased p27 protein expression in SGC-7901 cells. These results suggested that the cell cycle arrest observed may be regulated through a MAPK pathway by transcriptional down-regulation of cell cycle proteins. These results demonstrate potent ability of ß-ionone to arrest cell cycle of SGC-7901 cells and decrease proliferation.

Apoptosis initiation of ß-ionone in SGC-7901 gastric carcinoma cancer cells via a PI3K-AKT pathway.

ß-ionone has been shown to hold potent anti-proliferative and apoptosis induction properties in vitro and in vivo. To investigate the effects of ß-ionone on apoptosis initiation and its possible mechanisms of action, we qualified cell apoptosis, proteins related to apoptosis and a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT pathway in human gastric adenocarcinoma cancer SGC-7901 cells. The results demonstrated that ß-ionone-induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in SGC-7901 cells treated with ß-ionone (25, 50, 100 and 200 µmol/L) for 24 h. ß-ionone was also shown to induce the expression of cleaved-caspase-3 and inhibit bcl-2 expression in SGC-7901 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The significantly decreased levels of p-PI3K and p-AKT expression were observed in SGC-7901 cells after ß-ionone treatments in a time- and dose-dependent manner (P < 0.01). Thus, the apoptosis induction in SGC-7901 cells by ß-ionone may be regulated through a PI3K-AKT pathway. These results demonstrate a potential mechanism by which ß-ionone to induce apoptosis initiation in SGC-7901 cells.

Assessment of the Iodine Status of Lactating Women and Infants in Shanghai, China.

There is a risk of iodine deficiency among pregnant women in China. However, research on the iodine status of lactating women and infants is scarce. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the iodine status of lactating women and their infants and explore the relationship between breast milk iodine concentrations (BMICs) and urinary iodine concentrations (UICs). In total, 257 lactating women and their infants were recruited from the Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital East campus between May 2018 and May 2019. The BMIC and UIC were measured by inductively coupled plasma‒mass spectrometry (ICP‒MS). One-day 24-h dietary recall was used to determine the dietary intake of iodine. The mean dietary intake of iodine among the lactating women was 145.1 µg/day, and 97.83% (n = 225) of the lactating women had a dietary iodine intake below 240 µg/day. The median BMIC and UIC of the lactating women was 150.7 µg/L (interquartile range, IQR 102.9, 205.5) and 110.0 µg/L (IQR 65.8, 171.4), respectively, and the median UIC of the infants was 212.7 µg/L (IQR 142.1, 320.6). The BMIC of lactating women who consumed iodized salt was significantly higher than that of lactating women who did not consume iodized salt (p = 0.015). The infants' UIC values were significantly correlated with the BMIC values (r = 0.597**, p < 0.001). The iodine nutritional status of lactating women and infants in Shanghai was generally sufficient according to the WHO's iodine nutritional status recommendation. The use of iodized salt was related to increasing dietary iodine intake and the BMIC. Improvements in BMICs have positive effects on the nutritional levels of iodine in infants.

Projected long-term climate trends reveal the critical role of vapor pressure deficit for soybean yields in the US Midwest.

Extreme climate events including heat waves and droughts are projected to become more frequent under future climate change conditions. However, the mechanisms between soybean yields and climate factors, specifically involving variable rainfall and high heat episodes, are still unclear, particularly with respect to spatial trends in the United States (US) Midwest. A recently modified version of the model GLYCIM was used to evaluate rainfed soybean production across 12 states at a 10 km spatial resolution for three time periods (2011-2020, 2051-2060, 2091-2099) under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios 4.5 and 8.5. Results showed that except for the northernmost Midwest counties, most of the current rainfed cropping system in the Midwest would suffer a 24.6-47.4 % yield loss without considering the CO2 fertility effect. Incorporating the effect of elevated CO2 showed a smaller yield loss of 11.6-29.5 %. The increased frequency of extreme degree days (EDD) or accumulation of hourly temperatures above 30 °C associated with increased vapor pressure deficit (VPD) played a key role in contributing to water deficits and resultant crop losses under these future climate conditions. Although a relatively weak relationship between summer rainfall and crop yield was observed, decreased rainfall caused VPD to increase which induced crop water deficits. These findings suggest that it is crucial to consider VPD along with high temperature and low rainfall trends simultaneously for development of potential management or breeding-based adaptative strategies for soybean.

Improving the cotton simulation model, GOSSYM, for soil, photosynthesis, and transpiration processes.

GOSSYM, a mechanistic, process-level cotton crop simulation model, has a two-dimensional (2D) gridded soil model called Rhizos that simulates the below-ground processes daily. Water movement is based on gradients of water content and not hydraulic heads. In GOSSYM, photosynthesis is calculated using a daily empirical light response function that requires calibration for response to elevated carbon dioxide (CO2). This report discusses improvements made to the GOSSYM model for soil, photosynthesis, and transpiration processes. GOSSYM's predictions of below-ground processes using Rhizos are improved by replacing it with 2DSOIL, a mechanistic 2D finite element soil process model. The photosynthesis and transpiration model in GOSSYM is replaced with a Farquhar biochemical model and Ball-Berry leaf energy balance model. The newly developed model (modified GOSSYM) is evaluated using field-scale and experimental data from SPAR (soil-plant-atmosphere-research) chambers. Modified GOSSYM better predicted net photosynthesis (root mean square error (RMSE) 25.5 versus 45.2 g CO2 m-2 day-1; index of agreement (IA) 0.89 versus 0.76) and transpiration (RMSE 3.3 versus 13.7 L m-2 day-1; IA 0.92 versus 0.14) and improved the yield prediction by 6.0%. Modified GOSSYM improved the simulation of soil, photosynthesis, and transpiration processes, thereby improving the predictive ability of cotton crop growth and development.

A Miniature Soft Sensor with Origami-Inspired Self-Folding Parallel Mechanism.

Miniature soft sensors are crucial for the perception of soft robots. Although centimeter-scale sensors have been well developed, very few works addressed millimeter-scale, three-dimensional-shaped soft sensors capable of measuring multi-axis forces. In this work, we developed a millimeter-scale (overall size of 6 mm × 11 mm × 11 mm) soft sensor based on liquid metal printing technology and self-folding origami parallel mechanism. The origami design of the sensor enables the soft sensor to be manufactured within the plane and then fold into a three-dimensional shape. Furthermore, the parallel mechanism allows the sensor to rotate along two orthogonal axes. We showed that the soft sensor can be self-folded (took 17 s) using a shape-memory polymer and magnets. The results also showed that the sensor prototype can reach a deformation of up to 20 mm at the tip. The sensor can realize a measurement of external loads in six directions. We also showed that the soft sensor enables underwater sensing with a minimum sensitivity of 20 mm/s water flow. This work may provide a new manufacturing method and insight into future millimeter-scale soft sensors for bio-inspired robots.

Aerial-aquatic robots capable of crossing the air-water boundary and hitchhiking on surfaces.

Many real-world applications for robots-such as long-term aerial and underwater observation, cross-medium operations, and marine life surveys-require robots with the ability to move between the air-water boundary. Here, we describe an aerial-aquatic hitchhiking robot that is self-contained for flying, swimming, and attaching to surfaces in both air and water and that can seamlessly move between the two. We describe this robot's redundant, hydrostatically enhanced hitchhiking device, inspired by the morphology of a remora (Echeneis naucrates) disc, which works in both air and water. As with the biological remora disc, this device has separate lamellar compartments for redundant sealing, which enables the robot to achieve adhesion and hitchhike with only partial disc attachment. The self-contained, rotor-based aerial-aquatic robot, which has passively morphing propellers that unfold in the air and fold underwater, can cross the air-water boundary in 0.35 second. The robot can perform rapid attachment and detachment on challenging surfaces both in air and under water, including curved, rough, incomplete, and biofouling surfaces, and achieve long-duration adhesion with minimal oscillation. We also show that the robot can attach to and hitchhike on moving surfaces. In field tests, we show that the robot can record video in both media and move objects across the air/water boundary in a mountain stream and the ocean. We envision that this study can pave the way for future robots with autonomous biological detection, monitoring, and tracking capabilities in a wide variety of aerial-aquatic environments.

Optimal Cutoffs for the Diagnosis of Sarcopenia in Older Chinese Adults.

Background: The optimal criteria for sarcopenia in the older Chinese population have not been defined. Consequently, this study aims to determine the optimal cutoffs of grip strength, appendicular skeletal muscle index (ASMI) using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and gait speed, comprising the best definition of sarcopenia for older Chinese populations. Methods: A total of 2,821 (1,398 men and 1,423 women) community-dwelling older people (≥60 years) and 409 (205 men and 204 women) young healthy adults (25-34 years) were recruited from three big cities in China. Besides gait speed and grip strength, we examined ASMI by BIA and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), comprising the three components of sarcopenia. DXA classification for low ASMI, 20th percentile among older adults in the study sample, was found to be best compared with the other existing classification, 1 SD and 2 SD below the mean for the young population, and was used as the gold standard to determine the optimal cutoffs of BIA using receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC). The cutoffs of handgrip strength and gait speed were determined following the same rule. Results: Using gender-specific 20th percentiles of DXA (6.53 kg/m2 for men and 5.40 kg/m2 for women), the cutoffs 7.05 kg/m2 for men and 5.85 kg/m2 for women were determined as optimal cutoffs of BIA by achieving the largest sensitivity (0.81, 95% CI: 0.63-0.93 for men and 0.90, 95% CI: 0.73-0.98 for women) and specificity greater than 0.80 (0.80, 95% CI: 0.72-0.87 for men and 0.81, 95% CI: 0.72-0.87 for women) in the ROC analysis. The 28.5 kg and 1.05 m/s for men and 18.6 kg and 1.01 m/s for women were determined as the cutoffs for handgrip strength and gait speed, respectively. Based on the derived cutoffs, 14.2% of men and 15.7% of women in the older Chinese study population were classified as sarcopenia. Conclusion: Notably, 7.05 kg/m2, 28.5 kg, and 1.05 m/s for men and 5.85 kg/m2, 18.6 kg, and 1.01 m/s for women were selected as the optimal cutoffs for low ASMI by BIA, handgrip strength, and gait speed, respectively. These optimal cutoffs will enhance practicability for screening sarcopenia in primary care and clinical settings.