Integrated systematic functional screen and fine-mapping decipher the role and genetic regulation of RPS19 in colorectal cancer development.

Despite genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 200 risk loci associated with colorectal cancer (CRC), the causal genes or risk variants within these loci and their biological functions remain not fully revealed. Recently, the genomic locus 19q13.2, with the lead SNP rs1800469 was identified as a crucial CRC risk locus in Asian populations. However, the functional mechanism of this region has not been fully elucidated. Here we employed an RNA interfering-based on-chip approach to screen for the genes essential for cell proliferation in the CRC risk locus 19q13.2. Notably, we found that RPS19 exhibited the most significant effect among the identified genes and acted as a critical oncogene facilitating CRC cell proliferation. Subsequently, combining integrative fine-mapping analysis and a large-scale population study consisting of 6027 cases and 6099 controls, we prioritized rs1025497 as a potential causal candidate for CRC risk, demonstrating that rs1025497[A] allele significantly reduced the risk of CRC (OR 0.70, 95% confidence interval = 0.56-0.83, P = 1.12 × 10-6), which was further validated in UK Biobank cohort comprising 5,313 cases and 21,252 controls. Mechanistically, we experimentally elucidated that variant rs1025497 might acted as an allele-specific silencer, inhibiting the expression level of oncogene RPS19 mediated by the transcription suppressive factor HBP1. Taken together, our sturdy unveils the significant role of RPS19 during CRC pathogenesis and delineates its distal regulatory mechanism mediated by rs1025497, advancing our understanding of the etiology of CRC and provided new insights into the personalized medicine of human cancer.

Hepatocellular carcinoma risk variant modulates lncRNA HLA-DQB1-AS1 expression via a long-range enhancer-promoter interaction.

Substantial evidence highlighted the critical role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) in driving hepatocarcinogenesis. We hypothesized that functional variants in genome-wide association studies (GWASs) associated loci might alter the expression levels of lncRNAs and contribute to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we prioritized potentially cis-expression quantitative trait loci-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-lncRNA association together with the physical interaction by the analyses from Hi-C data in GWAS loci of chronic hepatitis B and HCC. Subsequently, by leveraging two-stage case-control study (1738 hepatitis B [HBV]) related HCC cases and 1988 HBV persistent carriers) and biological assays, we identified that rs2647046 was significantly associated with HCC risk (odds ratio = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.43, P = 4.14 × 10-4). Luciferase reporter assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that rs2647046 A allele significantly increased transcriptional activity via influencing transcript factor binding affinity. Allele-specific chromosome conformation capture assays revealed that enhancer with rs2647046 interacted with the HLA-DQB1-AS1 promoter to allele-specifically influence its expression by CTCF-mediated long-range loop. Cell proliferation assays indicated that HLA-DQB1-AS1 is a potential oncogene in HCC. Our study showed HLA-DQB1-AS1 regulated by a causal SNP in a long-range interaction manner conferred the susceptibility to HCC, suggesting an important mechanism of modulating lncRNA expression for risk-associated SNPs in the etiology of HCC.

Immunogenicity and safety of a recombinant adenovirus type-5-vectored COVID-19 vaccine in healthy adults aged 18 years or older: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: This is the first randomised controlled trial for assessment of the immunogenicity and safety of a candidate non-replicating adenovirus type-5 (Ad5)-vectored COVID-19 vaccine, aiming to determine an appropriate dose of the candidate vaccine for an efficacy study. METHODS: This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial of the Ad5-vectored COVID-19 vaccine was done in a single centre in Wuhan, China. Healthy adults aged 18 years or older, who were HIV-negative and previous severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection-free, were eligible to participate and were randomly assigned to receive the vaccine at a dose of 1 × 1011 viral particles per mL or 5 × 1010 viral particles per mL, or placebo. Investigators allocated participants at a ratio of 2:1:1 to receive a single injection intramuscularly in the arm. The randomisation list (block size 4) was generated by an independent statistician. Participants, investigators, and staff undertaking laboratory analyses were masked to group allocation. The primary endpoints for immunogenicity were the geometric mean titres (GMTs) of specific ELISA antibody responses to the receptor binding domain (RBD) and neutralising antibody responses at day 28. The primary endpoint for safety evaluation was the incidence of adverse reactions within 14 days. All recruited participants who received at least one dose were included in the primary and safety analyses. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04341389. FINDINGS: 603 volunteers were recruited and screened for eligibility between April 11 and 16, 2020. 508 eligible participants (50% male; mean age 39·7 years, SD 12·5) consented to participate in the trial and were randomly assigned to receive the vaccine (1 × 1011 viral particles n=253; 5 × 1010 viral particles n=129) or placebo (n=126). In the 1 × 1011 and 5 × 1010 viral particles dose groups, the RBD-specific ELISA antibodies peaked at 656·5 (95% CI 575·2-749·2) and 571·0 (467·6-697·3), with seroconversion rates at 96% (95% CI 93-98) and 97% (92-99), respectively, at day 28. Both doses of the vaccine induced significant neutralising antibody responses to live SARS-CoV-2, with GMTs of 19·5 (95% CI 16·8-22·7) and 18·3 (14·4-23·3) in participants receiving 1 × 1011 and 5 × 1010 viral particles, respectively. Specific interferon γ enzyme-linked immunospot assay responses post vaccination were observed in 227 (90%, 95% CI 85-93) of 253 and 113 (88%, 81-92) of 129 participants in the 1 × 1011 and 5 × 1010 viral particles dose groups, respectively. Solicited adverse reactions were reported by 183 (72%) of 253 and 96 (74%) of 129 participants in the 1 × 1011 and 5 × 1010 viral particles dose groups, respectively. Severe adverse reactions were reported by 24 (9%) participants in the 1 × 1011 viral particles dose group and one (1%) participant in the 5 × 1010 viral particles dose group. No serious adverse reactions were documented. INTERPRETATION: The Ad5-vectored COVID-19 vaccine at 5 × 1010 viral particles is safe, and induced significant immune responses in the majority of recipients after a single immunisation. FUNDING: National Key R&D Programme of China, National Science and Technology Major Project, and CanSino Biologics.

Immunogenicity and Safety of an F-Genotype Attenuated Mumps Vaccine in Healthy 8- to 24-Month-Old Children.

Background: Mumps vaccine immunizations have reduced the incidence of this disease. With the variation of mumps circulating strain, novel vaccine strains are always important. Methods: A 2-center parallel, randomized, double-blind noninferiority trial was performed to compare an F-genotype attenuated mumps vaccine (SP strain) to the A-genotype vaccine (S-79, Jeryl-Lynn strain) in 1080 healthy children aged 8-24 months in Hubei, China. Results: Participants were randomly assigned to receive a high or low dose of the SP or S79 vaccine and then assessed clinically at 30 minutes and 1-28 days postinoculation. No differences in local or systemic reactivity were observed. A similar incidence of severe adverse events associated with the vaccine was observed in the high-dose group and the positive control group. Based on throat swab collections, no viral shedding was present at the 4th and 10th days in any group. Neutralizing and hemagglutination-inhibiting antibody assays with the F- or A-genotype strains showed similar trends in geometric mean titers in the high-dose SP and S79 groups. Increased cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses were observed in all groups. Conclusions: The F-genotype attenuated mumps vaccine is safe, offers immunogenicity against a homologous virus, and is noninferior to the A-genotype vaccine in 8- to 24-month-old children.

Integrative functional genomics identifies regulatory genetic variant modulating RAB31 expression and altering susceptibility to breast cancer.

Despite the successes of genome-wide association study (GWAS) in identifying breast cancer (BC) risk-associated variants, only a small fraction of the heritability can be explained. The greatest challenge in the post-GWAS is to identify causal variants and underlying mechanisms responsible for BC susceptibility. In this study, we integrated functional genomic data from ENCODE ChIP-seq, ANNOVAR, and the TRANSFAC matrix to identify potentially regulatory variants with modulating FOXA1-binding affinity across the whole genome, and then conducted a two-stage case-control study including 2164 cases and 2382 controls to investigate the associations between candidate SNPs and BC susceptibility. We identified a BC susceptibility SNP, rs6506689 G>T, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.23 (95% confidence interval = 1.07-1.40, P = 0.003) under a dominant model in the combined study. Biological assays indicated that the germline G>T variation at rs6506689 creates a FOXA1-binding site and up-regulates the expression of RAB31, thus playing an important role in the development of BC. Our results highlight the importance of regulatory genetic variants in the development of BC by influencing TF-DNA interaction and provide critical insights to pinpoint causal genetic variants.

Genetic variations in the TGFß signaling pathway, smoking and risk of colorectal cancer in a Chinese population.

Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have reported multiple risk loci associated with risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), some of which are involved in the transforming growth factor beta (TGFß) signaling pathway. We systematically examined associations of common genetic variations in the TGFß signaling pathway and environmental factors with CRC risk using a two-staged case-control study in a Chinese population. A set of 77 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 10 candidate genes involved in the TGFß signaling pathway and several environmental factors including sex, age, smoking and drinking were examined by random forest (RF) to capture the potential gene-gene and gene-environment interactions in stage 1 of the study with 443 CRC patients and 480 controls. Three promising SNPs (SMAD7 rs11874392, TGFBR1 rs10988706 and rs6478972) selected by the RF method were genotyped in stage 2 comprising 351 cases and 360 controls for validation. SMAD7 rs11874392 presented consistently significant associations with a risk of CRC at both stages, with odds ratio = 1.41 (95% confidence interval = 1.21-1.63) using additive modes in combined analyses. Moreover, the potential interactions between SMAD7 rs11874392, TGFBR1 rs10988706 and rs6478972 were indicated consistently in both stages of the study by using pair-wise interaction and multilocus genotype pattern analysis. Additionally, gene-smoking interactions for rs11874392, rs10988706 and rs6478972 were also found to enhance the risk of CRC at both stages, with P for multiplicative interaction equal to 1.162×10(-6), 8.574×10(-8) and 9.410×10(-8) in combined analyses, respectively. This study emphasized the substantial role of the TGFß signaling pathway in CRC, especially in interaction with smoking.

Multi-loci analysis reveals the importance of genetic variations in sensitivity of platinum-based chemotherapy in non-small-cell lung cancer.

Polymorphisms in DNA repair and apoptotic pathways may cause variations in chemosensitivity of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) through complex gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. A total of 200 advanced NSCLC patients who received platinum-based chemotherapies were recruited. The short-term clinical outcomes were classified as chemosensitive group, including complete remission (CR) and partial remission (PR), and chemoresistant group, namely stable disease (SD) and progression disease (PD) at the end of treatment. We applied multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR), classification and regression tree (CART) and traditional logistic regression (LR) to explore high-order gene-gene and gene-environment interactions among 11 functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), smoking status, cancer stages and treatment regimens in the response to chemotherapy. Multi-loci analyses consistently indicated that interactions among XRCC1 Arg194Trp, XPC PAT, FAS G-1377A, and FASL T-844C were associated with sensitivity to platinum-based chemotherapy. In MDR analysis, the four-factor model yielded the highest test accuracy of 0.72 (permutation P = 0.001). In CART analysis, these four SNPs were the determinant nodes of the growth of regression tree. Patients carrying XRCC1 Arg194Arg, FAS-1377GG, and FASL-844T allele displayed completely no response to platinum, whereas patients with XRCC1 194Trp allele and XPC PAT +/+ had 68.8% response rate to platinum. In LR analysis, a significant gene-dosage effect was detected along with the increasing number of favorable genotypes of these four polymorphisms (P trend = 0.00002). Multi-loci analysis reveals the importance of genetic variations involved in DNA repair and apoptotic pathways in sensitivity of platinum-based chemotherapy in NSCLC.

Competition for Light Interception in Different Plant Canopy Characteristics of Diverse Cotton Cultivars.

Identifying the ideal plant nature and canopy structure is of great importance for improving photosynthetic production and the potential action of plants. To address this challenge, an investigation was accomplished in 2018 and 2019 at the Institute of Cotton Research (ICR) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science (CAAS), Henan Province, China. Six cotton varieties with diverse maturities and plant canopy structures were used to evaluate the light interception (LI) in cotton, the leaf area index (LAI), the biomass, and the yield throughout the two years of study. The light spatial distribution in the plant canopy was evaluated using a geographic statistical method, following the increasing quantity of radiation intercepted, which was determined using the rules of Simpson. Compared to the cotton plants with a compact structure, varieties with both a loose and tower design captured a comparatively higher amount of light (average 31.3%) and achieved a higher LAI (average 32.4%), eventually achieving a high yield (average 10.1%). Furthermore, the polynomial correlation revealed a positive relationship between the biomass accumulation in the reproductive parts and canopy-accrued light interception (LI), signifying that light interception is critical for the yield development of cotton. Furthermore, when the leaf area index (LAI) was peaked, radiation interception and biomass reached the highest during the boll-forming stage. These findings will provide guidance on the light distribution in cotton cultivars with an ideal plant structure for light capture development, providing an important foundation for researchers to better manage light and canopies.

Effects of plastic film mulching on the spatiotemporal distribution of soil water, temperature, and photosynthetic active radiation in a cotton field.

Plastic film mulching (PFM) affects the spatiotemporal distribution of soil moisture and temperature, which in turn affects cotton growth and the spatiotemporal distribution of canopy photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Due to the spatial heterogeneity of soil moisture, temperature and limited monitoring methods, the issues such as relatively few sampling points and long sampling intervals in most existing studies prevent the accurate quantification of spatiotemporal changes in moisture and temperature along soil profile. To investigate the effects of PFM on spatiotemporal changes in soil moisture, temperature, and canopy PAR in cotton fields, two field trials of plastic film-mulched (M) and nonmulched (NM) cultivations were performed in 2018 and 2019. The grid method was used for the soil information continuous monitoring and multiple-time fixed-site canopy PAR monitoring during the duration of cotton growth. Two-year field trial data showed that, M cultivation increased soil moisture by approximately 13.6%-25% and increased temperature by 2-4 °C in the 0-50 cm soil layer before the first irrigation (June 20) and by 1-2 °C in the 70-110 cm soil layer, compared with NM cultivation. In addition, the temperature difference between the two treatments gradually decreased with the increase in irrigation and air temperature. The M treatment reached the peak PAR interception rate 10 days earlier than the NM treatment. In 2018 and 2019, the PAR peak value under the M treatment was 4.62% and 1.8% higher than that under the NM treatment, respectively, but the PAR interception rate was decreased rapidly in the late growth stage. Overall, PFM had an effect on soil moisture retention during the whole growth period and greatly increased the soil temperature before budding stage, thus promoted the early growth of cotton. Considering this, we suggest that the irrigation quota and frequency could be appropriately decreased in the case of plastic film mulching cultivation. For nonmulching cultivation, the irrigation quota and frequency should be increased, and it is necessary to take measures to improve the soil temperature before middle July.

Carbon footprint of cotton production in China: Composition, spatiotemporal changes and driving factors.

Analyzing the carbon footprint of crop production and proposing low-carbon emission reduction production strategies can help China develop sustainable agriculture under the goal of 'carbon peak and carbon neutrality'. Cotton is an economically important crop in China, but few reports have systematically quantified the carbon footprint of China's cotton production and analyzed its spatiotemporal changes and driving factors. This study used a life cycle approach to analyze the spatiotemporal changes and identify the main components and driving factors of the carbon footprint of cotton production in China between 2004 and 2018 based on statistical data. The results showed that the carbon footprint per unit area of cotton in Northwest China, the Yellow River Basin and the Yangtze River Basin reached 6220.13 kg CO2eq·ha-1, 3528.14 kg CO2eq·ha-1 and 2958.56 kg CO2eq·ha-1, respectively. From 2004 to 2018, the CFa in the Yellow River Basin and Northwest China increased annually, with average increases of 59.87 kg CO2eq·ha-1 and 260.70 kg CO2eq·ha-1, respectively, while the CFa in the Yangtze River Basin decreased by an average of 21.53 kg CO2eq·ha-1 per year. The ridge regression and Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) model showed that fertilizer, irrigation electricity and agricultural film were the main influences on carbon emission growth at the micro level and that the economic factor was the key factor at the macro level. Improving the efficiency of cotton fertilization and electricity use and ensuring the high-quality development of the cotton industry are effective strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of cotton cultivation in the future. This study comprehensively uses statistical data and mathematical modeling to provide theoretical support for accounting and in-depth analysis of cotton carbon emissions. The results are valuable for policy making related to sustainable development and the low-carbon development of the Chinese cotton industry.

Immunogenicity and safety of an enterovirus 71 vaccine in children aged 36-71 months: A double-blind, randomised, similar vaccine-controlled, non-inferiority phase III trial.

Background: The enterovirus 71 (EV71) vaccine produced by Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd. (WIBP) (B-EV71) has been given to children aged 6-35 months, and it has shown good safety, immunogenicity and efficacy. However, the administration of EV71 vaccine in children aged 36-71 months, which is another target population, needs further exploration. Methods: We conducted a double-blind, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority phase III clinical trial in children aged 36-71 months, with a further comparison group of children aged 6-35 months in China. Children aged 6-71 months with no history of hand, foot and mouth disease or prior-vaccination of EV71 vaccine were eligible and recruited. Eligible participants aged 36-71 months were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive two doses of the B-EV71 vaccine (Older-B group) or the control EV71 vaccine (C-EV71 vaccine, produced by Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences) (Older-C group), administered at a 30-day interval. Eligible participants aged 6-35 months were enrolled consecutively to receive two doses of the B-EV71 vaccine (Younger-B group) at a 30-day interval. Participants, investigators and those assessing outcomes were masked to the vaccine received. Non-inferiority analyses were conducted to compare the immunogenicity of EV71 vaccine in the Older-B group with that in the Older-C and Younger-B groups. Non-inferiority margins were 10% for seroconversion rate differences and 0.5 for geometric mean titre (GMT) ratios. The primary endpoints were the GMT level and seroconversion rate of anti-EV71 neutralising antibody 30 days after the second dose of vaccination. The primary analysis was performed in the per-protocol population. Safety analyses were conducted amongst participants receiving at least one dose of vaccine. This trial was registered at Chinadrugtrials.org.cn (#CTR20192345). Findings: Between June 3 and June 30, 2020, 1600 participants were enrolled and assigned, including 625 participants in the Older-B group, 625 participants in the Older-C group and 350 participants in the Younger-B group. The seroconversion rate of anti-EV71 neutralising antibody in the Older-B group (99.66%; 95% CI: 99.18%-100.00%) was non-inferior to that of the Older-C (99.32%; 95% CI: 98.65%-99.98%) and Younger-B groups (100.00%; 95% CI: 100.00%-100.00%). The differences in seroconversion rates in the Older-B group to those in the Older-C and Younger-B groups were 0.34% (95%CI: -2.17%-2.86%) and -0.34% (95%CI: -2.78%-2.09%). The GMT of the anti-EV71 neutralising antibody in the Older-B group (693.87) was also non-inferior to that in the Older-C (289.37) and Younger-B groups (634.80). The ratios of GMTs in the Older-B group to those in the Older-C and Younger-B groups were 2.67 (95%CI: 2.00-3.00) and 1.00 (95%CI: 0.75-1.00), respectively. The incidence of any adverse event (AE) related to vaccination was similar amongst the three groups (34/625 [5.44%] in the Older-B group, 32/623 [5.14%] in the Older-C group, and 26/349 [7.45%] in the Younger-B group), with only 2 (0.57%) participants having grade 3 AEs in the Younger-B group. Fifteen (0.94%) participants from these three groups had reported serious AEs (SAEs), all of which were unrelated to vaccines. Interpretation: EV71 vaccine produced by WIBP could extend to be administered to children aged 36-71 months against EV71 infection. However, the persistence of vaccine-induced immunities needs to be further investigated. Funding: Hubei Province's young medical talent program (20191229), Hubei Province's young talent program (2021), Hubei Province's young public health talent program (2021); and the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd.

Immunogenicity and safety of purified vero cell-cultured rabies vaccine under Zagreb 2-1-1 or 5-dose Essen regimen in the healthy Chinese subjects: a randomized, double-blind, positive controlled phase 3 clinical trial.

Aim: The aims of the study were to evaluate the non-inferiority of the safety and immunogenicity of a new trial purified vero cell-cultured rabies vaccine (trial vaccine) in healthy subjects comparing with the control purified vero cell-cultured rabies vaccine (control vaccine) following Essen regimen and to evaluate the non-inferiority of the safety and immunogenicity of the trial vaccine following two intramuscular regimens, between Zagreb and Essen regimen. Methods: Serum samples were collected before vaccination and on d 7, 14, 35/42 post vaccination. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded for 30 d following each vaccination. This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-PPR-15007057). Results: There was no significant difference in the incidence of AEs, local and systemic reactions, among Zagreb group, Essen group, and control group. But the incidence of solicited AEs was a significant difference among the three groups (p = 0.0498). The incidence of solicited AEs was higher in Essen group than that in control group and Zagreb group (p = 0.0278, p = 0.0248). In the subjects whose antibodies were seronegative before vaccination, the seroconversion rates of antibodies among three groups were all 100.0% on d 14 and d 35/42. The Essen group was not inferior to the control group, and the Zagreb group was not inferior to the Essen group on d 14. On d 14 and d 35/42, the geometric mean concentration of the three groups was much higher than the immune protection level of 0.5 IU/ml. Conclusions: The trial vaccine had good safety and immunogenicity, and the trial vaccine is not inferior to the control vaccine. Abbreviations: PVRV: purified vero cell-cultured rabies vaccine; AE: adverse event; CI: confidence interval; GMC: geometric mean concentration; IM: intramuscular; NIFDC: National Institutes for Food and Drug Control; PPS: per-protocol set; SS: safety set; REFIT: Rapid Fluorescent Focus Inhibition Test; RVNA: rabies virus neutralizing antibody; WHO: World Health Organization.

Effects of deficit irrigation on cotton growth and water use efficiency: A review.

Cotton is one of the most important crops in the world. With the increasing scarce of global water resources, irrigation water will become a major limiting factor in cotton production. Deficit irrigation is an irrigation method which consumes less water than the normal evapotranspiration of crops. It is an effective water-saving method due to improved water use efficiency without sacrificing cotton yield and fiber quality. We summarized the effects of deficit irrigation on the growth and water use efficiency of cotton. The results showed that deficit irrigation promoted the transformation from vegetative growth to reproductive growth, reduced plant height, leaf area, and total biomass of cotton, and subsequently improved the harvest index, stem diameter and water use efficiency. Finally, based on the current research and combined with cotton production reality, the application and future development of deficit irrigation were proposed, which might provide theoretical guidance for the sustainable development of cotton plantation in arid areas.

Morphology-controlled synthesis of flowerlike ZnO nano/microstructures and their photocatalytic property.

Flowerlike ZnO nano/microstructures (FZNM) have been synthesized on glass substrates by a simple hydrothermal method. The as-prepared samples are composed of many radially oriented nano/submicron rods, which are single crystalline with a hexagonal structure and grow along the [001] direction. The diameter of ZnO nano/submicron rods ranges from 20 nm to 1 microm. With prolonged reaction time, the number of the nano/submicron rods of each ZnO flowerlike will decrease, while further prolonged reaction time, the amount increase actually. The reaction time is one key factor to control the sizes of the rods and the morphology of flowerlike structures. The possible growth mechanism has been discussed and proposed. A preliminary study on photocatalytic property of as-synthesized flowerlike structure reveals that morphology and size significantly influenced the photocatalytic activity for a solution of methylene blue (MB). Moreover, it is found that the annealed product exhibited higher photocatalytic performance.

Adjusting cotton planting density under the climatic conditions of Henan Province, China.

The growth and development of cotton are closely related to climatic variables such as temperature and solar radiation. Adjusting planting density is one of the most effective measures for maximizing cotton yield under certain climatic conditions. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the optimum planting density and the corresponding leaf area index (LAI) and yield under the climatic conditions of Henan Province, China, and (2) to learn how climatic conditions influence cotton growth, yield, and yield components. A three-year (2013-2015) field experiment was conducted in Anyang, Henan Province, using cultivar SCRC28 across six planting density treatments: 15,000, 33,000, 51,000, 69,000, 87,000, and 105,000 plants ha-1. The data showed that the yield attributes, including seed cotton yield, lint yield, dry matter accumulation, and the LAI, increased as planting density increased. Consequently, the treatment of the maximum density with 105,000 plants ha-1 was the highest-yielding over three years, with the LAIs averaged across the three years being 0.37 at the bud stage, 2.36 at the flower and boll-forming stage, and 1.37 at the boll-opening stage. Furthermore, the correlation between the cotton yield attributes and meteorological conditions indicated that light interception (LI) and the diurnal temperature range were the climatic factors that most strongly influenced cotton seed yield. Moreover, the influence of the number of growing degree days (GDD) on cotton was different at different growth stages. These observations will be useful for determining best management practices for cotton production under the climatic conditions of Henan Province, China.

How do cotton light interception and carbohydrate partitioning respond to cropping systems including monoculture, intercropping with wheat, and direct-seeding after wheat?

Different cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)-wheat (Triticum aestivum) planting patterns are widely applied in the Yellow River Valley of China, and crop yield mainly depends on light interception. However, little information is available on how cotton canopy light capturing and yield distribution are affected by planting patterns. Hence, field experiments were conducted in 2016 and 2017 to study the response of cotton canopy light interception, square and boll distribution, the leaf area index (LAI) and biomass accumulation to three planting patterns: a cotton monoculture (CM, planted on 15 May) system, a cotton/wheat relay intercropping (CWI, planted on 15 May) system, in which three rows of wheat rows were intercropped with one row of cotton, and a system in which cotton was directly seeded after wheat (CWD, planted on 15 June). The following results were obtained: 1) greater light capture capacity was observed for cotton plants in the CM and CWI compared with the CWD, and the light interception of the CM was 22.4% and 51.4% greater than that of the CWI and CWD, respectively, at 30 days after sowing (DAS) in 2016; 2) more bolls occurred at the first sympodial position (SP) than at other SPs for plants in the CM; 3) based on the LAI and biomass accumulation, the cotton growth rate was the greatest in CWD, followed by CM and CWI; and 4) the CM produced significantly greater yields than did the other two treatments because it yielded more bolls and greater boll weight. Information on the characteristics of cotton growth and development in response to different planting patterns would be helpful for understanding the response of cotton yields to planting patterns and would facilitate the improvement of cotton productivity.

Root growth and spatial distribution characteristics for seedlings raised in substrate and transplanted cotton.

In this study, transplanting cotton seedlings grown in artificial substrate is considered due to recent increased interest in cotton planting labor saving approaches. The nursery methods used for growing cotton seedlings affect root growth. However, the underlying functional responses of root growth to variations in cotton seedling transplanting methods are poorly understood. We assessed the responses of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) roots to different planting methods by conducting cotton field experiments in 2012 and 2013. A one-factor random block design was used with three replications and three different cotton planting patterns (substrate seedling transplanted cotton (SSTC), soil-cube seedling transplanted cotton (ScSTC) and directly sown cotton (DSC). The distributions and variances of the root area density (RAD) and root length density (RLD) at different cotton growing stages and several yield components were determined. Overall, the following results were observed: 1) The RAD and RLD were greatest near the plants (a horizontal distance of 0 cm) but were lower at W20 and W40 cm in the absence of film mulching than at E20 and E40 cm with film mulching. 2) The roots were confined to shallow depths (20-40 cm), and the root depths of SSTC and DSC were greater than the root depths of ScSTC. 3) Strong root growth was observed in the SSTC at the cotton flowering and boll setting stages. In addition, early onset root growth occurred in the ScSTC, and vigorous root growth occurred throughout all cotton growth stages in DSC. 4) The SSTC plants had more lateral roots with higher root biomass (RB) than the ScSTC, which resulted in higher cotton yields. However, the early onset root growth in the ScSTC resulted in greater pre-frost seed cotton (PFSC) yields. These results can be used to infer how cotton roots are distributed in soils and capture nutrients.

Photoluminescence investigation based on laser heating effect in ZnO-ordered nanostructures.

We synthesized ZnO-SiO2 composite opal and ZnO inverse opal by electrodeposition using SiO2-opal template and polystyrene (PS)-opal template, respectively. Compared with compact ZnO nanocrystal film also prepared by electrodeposition, ordered ZnO nanostructures exhibit more significant red-shift and broadening of the UV peak with increasing excitation power, which is due to a stronger local heating effect in ordered ZnO nanostructures. We developed a quantitative analytical method to investigate photoluminescence (PL) of ZnO based on laser heating effects. The experimental data agree well with fitting curves derived from the electron-phonon interaction model. Important parameters, such as electron-phonon coupling strength and thermal activation energy, can be obtained by fitting experimental data. The resonant Raman spectra provide further evidence that the analyses based on laser heating effects are feasible.

Study on Light Interception and Biomass Production of Different Cotton Cultivars.

Identifying the characteristics of light interception and utilization is of great significance for improving the potential photosynthetic activity of plants. The present research investigates the differences in absorbing and converting photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) among various cotton cultivars. Field experiments were conducted in 2012, 2013 and 2014 in Anyang, Henan, China. Ten cultivars with different maturity and plant architectures were planted at a density of 60,000 plants ha-1 in randomized blocks, with three replicates. The spatial distribution of light in canopy was measured and quantified with a geo-statistical method, according to which the cumulative amount of intercepted radiation was calculated by Simpson 3/8 rules. Finally, light interception was analyzed in association with the biomass accumulation of different cultivars. The key results were: (1) late-maturing varieties with an incompact plant architecture captured more solar radiation throughout the whole growth period than middle varieties with columnar architecture and even more than early varieties with compact architecture, and they produced more biomass; (2) the highest PAR interception ratio and the maximum biomass accumulation rate occurred during the blossoming and boll-forming stage, when leaf area index (LAI) reached its peak; (3) the distribution within the canopy presented a significant spatial heterogeneity, and at late growing stage, the PAR was mainly intercepted by upper canopies in incompact-type plant communities, but was more homogeneous in columnar-type plants; however, the majority of radiation was transmitted through the canopy in compact-type colonies; (4) there was not a consistent variation relationship between the cumulative intercepted PAR (iPAR) and biomass among these cultivars over the three years of the study. Based on these results, we attempted to clarify the distinction in light spatial distribution within different canopies and the patterns of PAR interception in diverse cotton cultivars with different hereditary characters, thereby providing a significant basis for researchers to select cultivars with appropriate growth period and optimal plant architecture for improvement of light interception and utilization.

Light spatial distribution in the canopy and crop development in cotton.

The partitioning of light is very difficult to assess, especially in discontinuous or irregular canopies. The aim of the present study was to analyze the spatial distribution of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in a heterogeneous cotton canopy based on a geo-statistical sampling method. Field experiments were conducted in 2011 and 2012 in Anyang, Henan, China. Field plots were arranged in a randomized block design with the main plot factor representing the plant density. There were 3 replications and 6 densities used in every replicate. The six plant density treatments were 15,000, 33,000, 51,000, 69,000, 87,000 and 105,000 plants ha(-1). The following results were observed: 1) transmission within the canopy decreased with increasing density and significantly decreased from the top to the bottom of the canopy, but the greatest decreases were observed in the middle layers of the canopy on the vertical axis and closing to the rows along the horizontal axis; 2) the transmitted PAR (TPAR) of 6 different cotton populations decreased slowly and then increased slightly as the leaves matured, the TPAR values were approximately 52.6-84.9% (2011) and 42.7-78.8% (2012) during the early cotton developmental stage, and were 33.9-60.0% (2011) and 34.5-61.8% (2012) during the flowering stage; 3) the Leaf area index (LAI) was highly significant exponentially correlated (R(2) = 0.90 in 2011, R(2) = 0.91 in 2012) with the intercepted PAR (IPAR) within the canopy; 4) and a highly significant linear correlation (R(2) = 0.92 in 2011, R(2) = 0.96 in 2012) was observed between the accumulated IPAR and the biomass. Our findings will aid researchers to improve radiation-use efficiency by optimizing the ideotype for cotton canopy architecture based on light spatial distribution characteristics.