Search Results (1,461)

Structural variation (SV) serves as a fundamental driver of phenotypic diversity and environmental adaptation in plants and animals, significantly influencing key agronomic traits in crops. Common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), an allohexaploid species, harbors extensive chromosomal SVs and distant hybridization-induced recombination events that provide critical resources for genetic improvement. This study utilizes non-denaturing fluorescence in situ hybridization (ND-FISH) and oligonucleotide multiplex probe-based FISH (ONPM-FISH) to analyze the karyotypes of 153 BC₁F₄–BC₁F₆ lines derived from the hybrid line Xiaoyan 7430 and common wheat Yannong 1212. The results revealed that Xiaoyan 7430 carries 8 alien chromosome pairs and 20 wheat chromosome pairs (lacking 6B), and Yannong 1212 contains 21 pairs of wheat chromosomes. The parental lines exhibited presence/absence variations (PAVs) on chromosomes 2A, 6A, 5B, 1D, and 2D. Chromosomal variations, including numerical chromosomal variation (NCV), structural chromosomal variation (SCV), and complex chromosomal variation (CCV), were detected in the progeny lines through ONPM-FISH analysis. The tracking of alien chromosomes over three consecutive generations revealed a significant decrease in transmission frequency, declining from 61.82% in BC₁F₄ to 26.83% in BC₁F₆. Telosomes were also lost during transmission, declining from 21.82% in BC₁F₄ to 9.76% in BC₁F₆. Alien chromosome 1J^S, 4J, and 6J exhibited the highest transmission stability and were detected across all three generations. Association analysis showed that YN-PAV.2A significantly affected the length/width ratio (LWR) and grain diameter (GD); YN-PAV.6A, XY-PAV.6A, and PAV.5B increased six grain traits (+2.25%~15.36%); YN-PAV.1D negatively affected grain length (GL) and grain circumference (GC); and XY-PAV.2D exerted positive effects on thousand-grain weight (TGW). Alien chromosomes differentially modulated grain characteristics: 1J^S and 6J both reduced grain length and grain circumference; 1J^S increased LWR; and 4J negatively impacted TGW, grain width (GW), GD, and grain area (GA). Meanwhile, increasing alien chromosome numbers correlated with progressively stronger negative effects on grain traits. These findings elucidate the genetic mechanisms underlying wheat chromosomal variations induced by distant hybridization and their impact on wheat grain traits, and provide critical intermediate materials for genome design breeding and marker-assisted selection in wheat improvement. Full article

Yield components are the most important breeding objectives, directly determining maize high-yield breeding. It is well known that these traits are controlled by a large number of quantitative trait loci (QTL). Therefore, deeply understanding the genetic basis of yield components and identifying key regulatory candidate genes can lay the foundation for maize marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding. In this study, our aim was to identify the key genomic regions that regulate maize yield component formation through bioinformatic methods. Herein, 554 original QTLs related to 11 yield components, including ear length (EL), hundred-kernel weight (HKW), ear weight (EW), cob weight (CW), ear diameter (ED), cob diameter (CD), kernel row number (KRN), kernel number per row (KNR), kernel length (KL), grain weight per plant (GW), and kernel width (KW) in maize, were collected from the MaizeGDB, national center for biotechnology information (NCBI), and China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI) databases. The consensus map was then constructed with a total length of 7154.30 cM. Approximately 80.32% of original QTLs were successfully projected on the consensus map, and they were unevenly distributed on the 10 chromosomes (Chr.). Moreover, 44 meta-QTLs (MQTLs) were identified by the meta-analysis. Among them, 39 MQTLs controlled two or more yield components, except for the MQTL4 in Chr. 1, which was associated with HKW; MQTL11 in Chr. 2, which was responsible for EL; MQTL19 in Chr. 3, which was related to KRN; MQTL26 in Chr. 5, which was involved in HKW; and MQTL36 in Chr. 7, which regulated EL. These findings were consistent with the Pearson correlation results, indicating that these traits exhibited co-linked heredity phenomena. Meanwhile, 159 candidate genes were found in all of the above MQTLs intervals, of which, 29 genes encoded E3 ubiquitin protein ligase, which was related with kernel size and weight. Other genes were involved in multiple metabolic processes, including plant hormones signaling transduction, plant growth and development, sucrose–starch synthesis and metabolism, and reproductive growth. Overall, the results will provide reliable genetic resources for high-yield molecular breeding in maize. Full article

Increased hepatic triacylglycerol (TG) storage in lipid droplets (LDs) is a hallmark of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Human carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) regulates TG storage and secretion in hepatocytes, but the mechanism remains to be elucidated. We performed studies in rat hepatoma McArdle RH7777 cells stably transfected with CES1 cDNA and in Ces1d-deficient mice using a variety of biochemical, pharmacological and cell biology approaches including the assessment of gene expression, confocal immunofluorescence microscopy, lipid synthesis measurements and quantitative mass spectrometry. CES1-expressing cells accrued more TG compared to cells lacking CES1 when incubated with oleic acid. CES1 increased the expression of Srebf1c, Nr1h3 and Nr1h2 encoding transcription factors (SREBP1c and LXRα and LXRβ, respectively) that regulate the expression of lipogenic genes. Additionally, CES1 increased the expression of Acsl1 encoding an enzyme catalyzing fatty acid activation and the expression of Dgat1 and Dgat2 encoding enzymes catalyzing TG synthesis. Treatment of CES1-expressing cells with PPARγ antagonist (GW9662), LXR antagonist (GSK2033) or CYP27A1 inhibitor Felodipine prevented CES1-mediated fatty acid esterification into TG. Ces1d-deficient mice fed high-fat diet (HFD) presented with decreased expression of Nr1h3, Nr1h2, Srebf1c and reduced hepatic TG content. Felodipine and GSK2033 treatment eliminated the differential effects on TG concentration between wild-type and Ces1d-deficient hepatocytes. The results suggest that CES1/Ces1d activates PPARγ, LXR and SREBP1c pathways, thereby increasing TG synthesis and LD storage by augmenting fatty acid esterification. Full article

The development of FGFR1-driven stem cell leukemia and lymphoma syndrome (SCLL) in mouse models is accompanied by an increase in highly heterogenous myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), which promote immune evasion. To dissect this heterogeneity, we used a combination of CyTOF and scRNA-Seq to define the phenotypes and genotypes of these MDSCs. CyTOF demonstrated increased levels of circulating macrophages in the peripheral blood of leukemic mice, and flow cytometry demonstrated that these macrophages were derived from Ly6C^Hi M-MDSC as well as the Ly6C^Int and Ly6C^Low monocytic populations. Consistently, scRNA-Seq analysis demonstrated the accumulation of non-classical monocytes (ncMono) during leukemia progression, which also express macrophage markers. These leukemia-induced macrophages show continuous transcriptional reprogramming during leukemia progression, with the upregulation of cellular stress response genes Hspa1a and Hspa1b and inflammation-related gene Nfkbia. Trajectory analysis revealed a transition from classical monocytes (cMono) to ncMono, and potential genes orchestrating this transition process have been identified. Furthermore, T-cell suppression assays demonstrated the immune suppressive abilities of leukemia-induced circulatory macrophages. Targeting these macrophages with the GW2580 CSF1R inhibitor leads to restored immune surveillance and improved survival. Overall, we demonstrate that circulating macrophages are responsible, at least in part, for the immune suppression in SCLL leukemia models, and targeting macrophages in this system improves the survival of leukemic mice. Full article

With the increasing maturity of renewable energy technologies and the pressing need to address climate change, urban power systems are striving to integrate a higher proportion of low-carbon renewable energy sources. However, the inherent variability and intermittency of wind and solar power pose significant challenges to the stability and reliability of urban power grids. Existing research has primarily focused on short-term energy storage solutions or small-scale integrated energy systems, which are insufficient to address the long-term, large-scale energy storage needs of urban areas with high renewable energy penetration. This paper proposes a mid-to-long-term capacity expansion model for hydrogen energy storage in urban-scale power systems, using Shanghai as a case study. The model employs mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) to optimize the generation portfolios from the present to 2060 under two scenarios: with and without hydrogen storage. The results demonstrate that by 2060, the installed capacity of hydrogen electrolyzers could reach 21.5 GW, and the installed capacity of hydrogen power generators could reach 27.5 GW, accounting for 30% of the total installed capacity excluding their own. Compared to the base scenario, the electricity–hydrogen collaborative energy supply system increases renewable penetration by 11.6% and utilization by 12.9% while reducing the levelized cost of urban comprehensive electricity (LCOUCE) by 2.514 cents/kWh. These findings highlight the technical feasibility and economic advantages of deploying long-term hydrogen storage in urban grids, providing a scalable solution to enhance the stability and efficiency of high-renewable urban power systems. Full article

Leveraging multi-source remote sensing datasets and dynamic groundwater monitoring well observations, this study explores the multiscale spatiotemporal linkages of groundwater storage changes and land deformation in North China Plain (NCP) after the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP). Firstly, we employed Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technology to estimate groundwater storage (GWS) and land deformation. Secondly and significantly, we proposed a novel GRACE statistical downscaling algorithm that integrates a weight allocation strategy and GWS estimation applied with InSAR technology. Finally, the downscaled results were employed to analyze spatial differences in land deformation across typical ground fissure areas. The results indicate that (1) between 2018 and 2021, groundwater storage in the NCP exhibited a declining trend, with an average reduction of −3.81 ± 0.53 km³/a and a maximum land deformation rate of −177 mm/a; (2) the downscaled groundwater storage anomalies (GWSA) showed high correlation with in situ measurements (R = 0.75, RMSE = 2.91 cm); and (3) in the Shunyi fissure area, groundwater storage on the northern side increased continuously, with a maximum growth rate of 28 mm/a, resulting in surface uplift exceeding 70 mm. Full article

China possesses abundant solar energy resources and remains heavily dependent on agriculture. The integration of photovoltaic (PV) power generation with agricultural production has emerged as a strategic pathway to advance China’s ecological transition and dual carbon goals. By 2023, PV power generation represented 21% of the nation’s total installed capacity. The cumulative capacity was projected to reach approximately 887 GW by 2024. The novelty of this study lies in offering a systematic and integrative review of PV agriculture in China. This paper used a combination of field research, case studies, policy analysis, and a comparative evaluation of diverse “PV+” development models. The findings reveal a pronounced spatial imbalance. Western China possesses 42% of the country’s solar energy resources, whereas the eastern provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui collectively comprise 37.8% of all PV agricultural projects. Three dominant “PV+” models are identified and categorized as follows: “PV + ecological restoration”, “PV + agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fisheries,” and “PV + facility agriculture.” These models provide multiple benefits. They enhance land use efficiency, stimulate local economic development, and contribute to food security by expanding the supply of essential agricultural products. Based on these insights, the study highlights future priorities in technological innovation, ecological evaluation, intelligent equipment, digitalization, and region-specific policy support. Overall, this research fills a key gap in systematically and comprehensively describing the current development status of photovoltaic agriculture in China. It also offers transferable lessons for sustainable agriculture and global energy transitions. Full article

Background: Uraemic cardiomyopathy (UCM), the cardiac manifestation of chronic kidney disease, represents a significant clinical challenge that is often underdiagnosed despite being one of the strongest predictors of mortality in the chronic kidney disease (CKD) population. It develops through pathophysiological mechanisms unique to the uraemic state—left ventricular hypertrophy, myocardial fibrosis, and diastolic dysfunction—that often progress silently, sometimes even without traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Purpose: This review synthesises nephrology-centric mechanisms with clinical phenotypes and contemporary imaging (including CMR T1/T2 mapping and ECV), and proposes a CKD-stage–tailored diagnostic–therapeutic framework. It offers a distinct perspective by integrating the complex pathophysiology of UCM with practical diagnostic approaches and evolving management strategies, differentiating it from prior cardiology-focused overviews. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Google Scholar, BMJ Best Practice, and UpToDate for studies published up to March 2025. Key findings were extracted from the final evidence set and manually verified for relevance. This review introduces a patho-mechanical cascade model of uraemic cardiomyopathy, integrating toxin-driven, metabolic, and haemodynamic axes. Nephrology-led screening protocols are proposed, leveraging proteomics and strain echo, and advocate mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists with sodium–glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor initiation at CKD Stage 3a. Cardiorenal clinics are essential for improved outcomes. Key Insights: UCM develops from a multifactorial process. This involves neurohormonal activation, oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and exposure to toxins such as indoxyl sulfate and p-cresyl sulfate, arising from uraemia. Diagnosis is challenging, masked by overlapping features of fluid overload and anaemia. SGLT2 inhibitors, non-steroidal mineralocorticoid antagonists, and renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system modulation offer promising interventions. The effect of the dialysis modality, its timing, and renal transplantation on cardiac remodelling also emerging from recent studies. Conclusions: UCM sits at the intersection of two failing organ systems. Managing it effectively requires a paradigm shift to incorporate pharmacological and early diagnostic interventions and the integration of cardiology and nephrology care, and the timely implementation of interventions. Full article

The large lakes and reservoirs of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau play a key role in regional water resources, yet their influence on terrestrial water storage (TWS) changes at different spatial scales remains unclear. This study employed the constrained forward modeling (CFM) method to correct leakage errors in level-2 spherical harmonic (SH) coefficients from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment and its follow-on missions (GRACE/GRACE-FO) at three spatial scales: two circular regions covering 90,000 km² and 200,000 km², respectively, and a 220,000 km² region based on the shape of mass concentration (Mascon). TWS changes derived from SH solutions after leakage correction through CFM were compared with level-3 Mascon solutions. Individual water storage components, including lake and reservoir water storage (LRWS), groundwater storage (GWS), and soil moisture storage (SMS), were quantified, and their relationships with precipitation were assessed. From 2003 to 2022, the CFM method effectively mitigated signal leakage, revealing an overall upward trend in TWS at all spatial scales. Signals from Qinghai Lake and Longyangxia Reservoir dominated the long-term trend and amplitude variations of LRWS, respectively. LRWS explained more than 47% of the TWS changes, and together with GWS, accounted for over 85% of the changes. Both CFM-based and Mascon-based TWS changes indicated a consistent upward trend from January 2003 to September 2012, followed by declines from November 2012 to May 2017 and October 2018 to December 2022. During the decline phases, GWS contributions increased, while LRWS contributions and component exchange intensity decreased. LRWS, SMS, and TWS changes were significantly correlated with precipitation, with varying time lags. These findings underscore the value of GRACE/GRACE-FO data for monitoring multiscale TWS dynamics and their climatic drivers in lake- and reservoir-dominated regions. Full article

This study aimed to (i) investigate the effect of using grape water in the production of traditional sourdough; (ii) select seeds for use in laboratory-scale sourdough bread production; and (iii) assess the effect of incorporating fresh germinated seeds into recipe of organic sourdough bread on nutritional, technological, and sensory properties. The pH of both control (CSD, flour only) and boosted (BSD, supplemented with “grape water”) sourdough fell below 4.5 by day 3. After 10 days of back-slopping and fermentation, both sourdoughs harbored 9 log CFU/g of lactic acid bacteria, whereas yeast cell density in the CSD was 1 log cycle higher. Based on their high germination rates (~90%), lentil and wheat seeds were selected as additional ingredients (5%). Bread with germinated lentils (GL) and bread with germinated wheat (GW) were compared with control bread (without seeds). GL and GW breads showed gas cell areas of 28.6% and 18.1%, respectively, which were higher than the control. In addition, GL and GW received higher scores for taste (8.6) and softness (5.6), respectively. Additionally, GL contained more proteins (9.9%) and fewer lipids (0.3%) than the two other bread types, in addition to being potentially labeled as a “source of fiber”. Full article

The first detection of gravitational waves from the binary black merger GW150914 started the era of gravitational astronomy. The observation of the binary neutron star merger GW170817 and of its associated electromagnetic counterpart GRB 170817A started multi-messenger gravitational astronomy. This short review discusses the discovery of GW170817 and the follow-up of the electromagnetic counterpart, together with the broad range of results in astrophysics and fundamental physics, including the Gamma-Ray Burst field. The GW170817/GRB 170817A observation showed that binary neutron star mergers can explain at least a fraction of short Gamma-Ray Bursts. The optical and infrared evolution of the associated AT 2017gfo transient showed that binary neutron star mergers are sites of r-process nucleo-synthesis. The combination of gravitational and electromagnetic observations has been used to estimate the Hubble parameter, the speed of gravitational waves, and the equation of state of nuclear matter. The increasing sensitivity of interferometric detectors and the forthcoming operation of third generation detectors will lead to an improved statistics of binary neutron star mergers. Full article

Solar photovoltaic (PV) plays a crucial role in China’s pursuit of carbon neutrality. Assessing the PV power potential over China is essential for future energy planning and policy making. Surface solar radiation and panel tilt angle are critical factors influencing PV power generation. However, existing solar radiation datasets cannot fully meet assessment needs due to insufficient temporal coverage and limited accuracy, and the impact of panel tilt angles on PV potential is largely overlooked. This study developed a PV power estimation framework to assess the long-term (1980–2019) PV power potential at 609 stations across China, based on reconstructed high-quality solar radiation and optimized tilt angles. The validation of PV power estimates using ground measured outputs from four operational PV power stations indicated a correlation coefficient of 0.67 and a root mean square error of 0.07 for estimated daily capacity factor (CF). The assessment results revealed that the multi-year mean CF of China is 0.149 ± 0.031, with higher potentials in northern provinces and lower in southern provinces. The mean annual CF shows a declining trend of −7 × 10⁻⁴ per decade during 1980–2019, with significant decreases primarily in heavily polluted regions. In addition, we propose an optimal tilt angle estimation model based on diffuse fraction, achieving higher accuracy than previously released models. The estimated optimal tilt angle results in an increase in PV energy yield by 14.9 TWh/year for China compared with latitude-based schemes, based on China’s cumulative PV capacity by 2023 (609 GW). Our findings provide valuable insights for the effective implementation of solar PV projects in China. Full article

With the maturation of reusable launch vehicle technology and satellite mass-production capabilities, global mega-constellation projects have entered a phase of rapid expansion. Inter-satellite networking is a key approach for enhancing constellation performance, as it crucially impacts overall constellation effectiveness. However, existing studies mostly focus on the network layer protocol optimization, with insufficient attention to topological structure design, and fail to fully consider the engineering challenges associated with inter-orbit Inter-Satellite Links (ISLs). To address these issues, this paper proposes a heterogeneous ISL topology architecture for mega-constellations, centered on “stable high-speed laser backbone connection within intra-orbit planes + dynamic and flexible radio network between inter-orbit planes”. First, we clarify the optimization objectives for mega-constellation topological design under this architecture and theoretically prove that the optimization problem is NP-hard. Building on this, we introduce Topological Structure Units (TSUs) and employ a unit reuse strategy to simplify topological design. Furthermore, we propose a TSU-based heterogeneous ISL topological design algorithm. Considering the uneven satellite distribution across latitude zones within the constellation, we further propose a regional TSU-based topological design algorithm. Finally, through simulation experiments in Starlink and GW constellation scenarios, we conduct multi-dimensional verification to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms in reducing end-to-end delay and decreasing ISL hops. Full article

This study presents a techno-economic environmental risk analysis (TERA) of large-scale green hydrogen production using Alkaline Water Electrolysis (AWE) and Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) systems. The analysis integrates commercial data, market insights, and academic forecasts to capture variability in capital expenditure (CAPEX), efficiency, electricity cost, and capacity factor. Using Libya as a case study, 81 scenarios were modelled for each technology to assess financial and operational trade-offs. For AWE, CAPEX is projected between $311 billion and $905.6 billion for 519 GW (gigawatts) of installed capacity, equivalent to 600–1745 $/kW. PEM systems show a wider range of $612 billion to $1020 billion for 510 GW, translating to 1200–2000 $/kW. Results indicate that AWE, while requiring greater land use, provides significant cost advantages due to lower capital intensity and scalability. In contrast, PEM systems offer compact design and operational flexibility but at substantially higher costs. The five most economical scenarios for both technologies consistently feature low CAPEX and high efficiency, while sensitivity analyses confirm these two parameters as the dominant cost drivers. The findings emphasise that technology choice should reflect context-specific priorities such as land availability, budget, and performance needs. This study provides actionable guidance for policymakers and investors developing cost-effective hydrogen infrastructure in emerging green energy markets. Full article

The Clean Air Research and Education (CARE) program, launched in 2020, aims to enhance environmental health (EH) and noncommunicable disease (NCD) research capacity in the Republic of Georgia. This paper evaluates the first 4.5 years of CARE, summarizing fellows’ activities and achievements to date and fellow and faculty reactions to CARE. In February 2025, CARE leadership anonymously surveyed fellows (100% response rate: n = 23/23; 4 Master’s of Public Health [MPH], 19 PhD) and faculty (66.7%: n = 10/15; 6 Georgia-based, 4 US-based). Thesis/dissertation topics included tobacco (43.5%), air pollution and respiratory outcomes (each 21.7%), lead exposure and cancer-related and cardiovascular outcomes (each 13.0%), and others. Fellows leveraged CARE’s financial support for research execution (78.3%), scientific conferences (34.8%), specific training (21.7%, n = 5/23), and/or publication fees (26.1%). Fellows indicated that the most valuable program aspects were opportunities for (1) building/expanding professional networks; (2) exposure to experts and training; and (3) instrumental support to pursue their PhD and conduct research. Fellows and faculty prioritized sustaining the following: structured mentor–mentee relationships; involvement of US-based mentors; support identifying research funding and preparing publications; and training in methods/data analysis. This study provides a model for evaluating other research training programs and highlights the important role such programs may play in developing the capacity to conduct relevant public health research in low- and middle-income countries. Full article