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This paper examines the performance of Chinese commercial banks before, during and after the 2007–2008 global financial crisis and China's 4 trillion renminbi stimulus plan during 2008–2010. Fully nonparametric methods are used to estimate technical efficiencies. Recently-developed statistical results are used to test for changes in efficiencies as well as productivity over time, and to test for changes in technology over time. We also test for differences in efficiency and productivity between big and small banks, and between domestic and foreign banks. We find evidence of non-convexity of banks' production set. Our results suggest that technical efficiency declined at the start of the global financial crisis and again during 2011–2012 after enactment of the stimulus plan. Although efficiency recovered somewhat during 2013–2014, China's banks ended with lower technical efficiency on average in 2014 than in 2007. We find that productivity declined during 2008–2009, increased during 2013–2014, but as with efficiency ended lower on average in 2014 than in 2007. We find compelling evidence that big banks were more efficient than small banks throughout 2007–2014, and in most years also were more productive. Finally, domestic banks were on average more efficient than foreign banks in 2007, but foreign banks were more efficient than domestic banks in 2014. Similarly, foreign banks were on average more productive than domestic banks in 2007, but less productive than domestic banks in 2012–2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a two-dimensional crystal, molybdenum trioxides (α-MoO 3) has been considered as a typical candidate for next-generation photodetectors (PDs) but with limited photodetection applications in the ultraviolet region. Here, a photo-induced thermoelectric (PTE) effect in α-MoO 3 is proposed as a practical approach to realize the broadband photodetection of α-MoO 3 /Si heterojunction PDs. High-quality α-MoO 3 films are grown on Si by using an e-beam evaporation method. By modulating the photo-induced thermoelectric potential along the c-axis on the transport properties, the α-MoO 3 /Si PDs can be operated as a self-powered device, showing broadband photoresponse beyond the bandgap limitation in the wavelength range of 405–1550 nm. The manipulation of the PTE effect in the heterojunction is investigated carefully, clarifying the corresponding physical mechanisms of the unique photoresponse behaviors. Furthermore, the fabricated device exhibits competitive photodetection performance with a high photoresponsivity of 63.3 mA/W, a high optical detectivity of 3.1 × 1011 cm Hz1/2W−1, fast response speeds with the rise/fall times of 0.47/0.76 ms, as well as high durability and environmental stability under 980-nm infrared illumination. These results not only provide a novel strategy to develop novel PDs with high performance, but also supply a deeply understanding of the PTE effect in α-MoO 3 /Si heterojunctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Cr, Cu, Zn and Cd could be removed simultaneously by nZVI@SBC. • NO 3 – and HA promote the removal of Cr, Cu, Zn and Cd. • Cr and Cu were reduced by nZVI and then removed through co-precipitation. • The removal of Cd and Zn were driven by alkali precipitation and complexation. Cr, Cu, Zn, and Cd commonly coexisted in the electroplating wastewater with high salinity and organics, while their removal was often investigated individually. In this study, the simultaneous removal of Cr, Cu, Zn, and Cd was investigated by nano zero-valent iron modified sludge biochar (nZVI@SBC). The results showed that nZVI@SBC could significantly improve the removal efficiency of the four heavy metals (HMs) in high salinity wastewater. NO 3 – (N-NO 3 –) and humic acid (HA) could promote the removal of Cr, Cu, Zn, and Cd, and PO 4 3- (P-PO 4 3-) could enhance the removal of Cd. EPR analysis demonstrated the generation of 1O 2 in different water matrices. The 1O 2 intensity increased in the presence of NO 3 – and HA, which indicated the acceleration of the nZVI corrosion and the promoted electron transfer in the system. To further understand the reaction mechanism, the variation of nZVI@SBC structures and compositions during the treatment process were characterized by SEM-EDS, XRD, BET, and XPS. Cr and Cu were removed through adsorption and co-precipitation after reduction by nZVI, while Cd and Zn were removed by alkali precipitation and complexation. This work improves the understanding of simultaneous removal of HMs by nZVI@SBC and provides a cost-effective approach for the electroplating wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives High-frequent opioid use tends to increase an individual's risk of opioid use disorder, overdose and death. Thus, it is important to predict an individuals' opioid use frequency to improve opioid prescription utilization outcomes. Methods Individuals receiving at least one opioid prescription from 2016 to 2018 in the national representative data, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, were included. This study applied five machine learning (ML) techniques, including support vector machine, random forest, neural network, gradient boosting and XGBoost (extreme gradient boosting), to predict opioid use frequency. This study compared the performance of these ML models with penalized logistic regression. The study outcome was whether an individual lied in the upper 10% of the opioid prescription distribution. Predictors were selected based on Gelberg–Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Utilization. The prediction performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and the area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC) in the test data. Patient characteristics as predictors for high-frequency use of opioids were ranked by the relative importance in prediction in the test data. Key findings Random forest and gradient boosting achieved the top values of both AUROC and AUPRC, outperforming logistic regression and three other ML methods. In the best performing model, the random forest, the following characteristics had high predictive power in the frequency of opioid use: age, number of chronic conditions, public insurance and self-perceived health status. Conclusions The results of this study demonstrate that ML techniques can be a promising and powerful technique in predicting the frequency of opioid use and health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • N-SDBC was prepared by one-step pyrolysis of dicyandiamide and residual sludge. • N-SDBC could effectively activate peroxydisulfate to enhance FQs removal. • 1O 2 was the dominant species in FQs degradation, SO 4 ‧− and ‧OH played minor roles. • Fe0 and graphitic-N were the major active sites in PDS activation. • The toxicity of FQs was significantly reduced through treating by N-SDBC/PDS. N-modified sludge-derived biochar (N-SDBC) was prepared and then used for activation of peroxydisulfate (PDS) to degrade fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs). Seven commonly used FQs were degraded by N-SDBC/PDS effectively, with the rate constants from 0.131 min−1 to 0.505 min−1. Scavenging experiments combined with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) confirmed that 1O 2 was the dominated reactive species, and the radicals SO 4 •− and •OH played minor roles. In-depth study revealed that the graphite-N and Fe0 on the surface of N-SDBC were the main active sites for PDS activation. The elevated N precursors and calcination temperature enhanced the yields of graphite-N and Fe0. Products analysis indicated enrofloxacin (ENR) degradation by 1O 2 with the fragmentation of the piperazine ring, the disconnection of the quinolone ring, decarboxylation, and defluorination. The toxicity assessment by Escherichia coli and ECOSAR showed that the biological toxicity of ENR could be reduced after treating by N-SDBC/PDS. The application in surface water and wastewater samples demonstrates the efficiency of FQs removal by N-SDBC/PDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report the improvement of high frequency response and quality factor of on-chip inductors by integrating ferromagnetic thin films (Co-Zr-Ta-B) including two different combinations of laminations and 500 nm thick non-laminated film. Up to 4.2X increase in inductance and 5X increase in quality factor (Q) was obtained from 4-turn spiral inductors incorporated with 50 nm by 10 laminated films with a peak Q at 500 MHz. Effects of patterning magnetic film have also been investigated by changing magnetic thin film aspect ratio. It was demonstrated that the peak Q can be pushed towards using higher frequencies as high as 1 GHz by a combination of patterning magnetic films into fine bars and laminations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The electrical and optical characteristics of Zn+ ion-implanted Ni/Au ohmic contacts to p-GaN were investigated. After the preparation of Ni/Au electrode on the surface of p-GaN, the metal/p-GaN contact interface was doped by 35keV Zn+ implantation with fluences of 5×1015–5×1016 cm−2. Subsequent rapid thermal annealing of the implanted samples were carried in air at 200–400°C for 5min. Obvious improvements of the electrode contact characteristics were observed, i.e. the decrease of specific contact resistance and the increase of light transmittance. The lowest specific contact resistance of 5.46×10−5 Ωcm2 was achieved by 1×1016 cm−2 Zn+ implantation. The transmission enhancement of the electrodes was found as the annealing temperature rises. Together with the morphology and structure analyses of the contacts by scanning and transmission electron microscope, the corresponding mechanism for such an improvement was discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Simple Summary: Erect leaves are one of the important phenotypes for plants to adapt to dense planting. This study obtained the erect leaf mutant mths29 through fast neutron irradiation and directional breeding. Dynamic observation of lamina joint development in the mutant and its genetic parent Heng S29 revealed an extreme phenotype during the booting stage, characterized by the complete absence of lamina joint on the inverted second leaves and flag leaves, resulting in a close adhesion of the leaf blade to the stem and the formation of an erect leaf phenotype. Through map-based cloning, the erect leaf QTL was localized within a physical interval of 1.03 Mb on chromosome 5A, and four potential candidate genes were predicted. Here, we demonstrate that mths29 represents a novel genetic resource for erect leaf traits in wheat. This study contributes to a better understanding of lamina joint development in graminaceous and aids in shaping plant architecture for denser planting. The erect leaf plays a crucial role in determining plant architecture, with its growth and development regulated by genetic factors. However, there has been a lack of comprehensive studies on the regulatory mechanisms governing wheat lamina joint development, thus failing to meet current breeding demands. In this study, a wheat erect leaf mutant, mths29, induced via fast neutron mutagenesis, was utilized for QTL fine mapping and investigation of lamina joint development. Genetic analysis of segregating populations derived from mths29 and Jimai22 revealed that the erect leaf trait was controlled by a dominant single gene. Using BSR sequencing and map-based cloning techniques, the QTL responsible for the erect leaf trait was mapped to a 1.03 Mb physical region on chromosome 5A. Transcriptome analysis highlighted differential expression of genes associated with cell division and proliferation, as well as several crucial transcription factors and kinases implicated in lamina joint development, particularly in the boundary cells of the preligule zone in mths29. These findings establish a solid foundation for understanding lamina joint development and hold promise for potential improvements in wheat plant architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are challenged with adhering to complex medication regimens. We examined effects of Comprehensive Medication Review (CMR), a required Medicare Part D Medication Therapy Management (MTM) program component, on medication adherence among AD patients. This retrospective study analyzed 100% of 2016–2017 Medicare claims covering the entire United States, linked to Area Health Resources Files. Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years were included. Propensity score matching identified comparable intervention and comparison groups with the intervention defined as receiving a CMR in 2017. A difference-in-differences analysis included in multivariate logistic regressions an interaction term between CMR receipt and year 2017. The outcome measured was nonadherence to diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia medications, with nonadherence defined as proportion of days covered <80% for study medications. Unadjusted comparisons indicated the proportion of nonadherence for intervention group members decreased from 2016 to 2017 but increased for the comparison group. In adjusted analyses, reduction in medication nonadherence among the intervention group remained higher: odds ratios for the interaction term were 0.62 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.54–0.71), 0.54 (95% CI = 0.50–0.58) and 0.50 (95% CI = 0.47–0.53) respectively for diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia medications. This suggests that the likelihood of nonadherence in the intervention group was respectively reduced by 38%, 46% and 50% more than the comparison group. CMR was found to reduce nonadherence to diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia medications among older Medicare beneficiaries with AD. This provides evidence that the MTM program is effective for a population with unique medication compliance challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tiller number greatly contributes to grain yield in wheat. Using ethylmethanesulfonate mutagenesis, we previously discovered the oligo-tillering mutant ot1. The tiller number was significantly lower in ot1 than in the corresponding wild type from the early tillering stage until the heading stage. Compared to the wild type, the thousand-grain weight and grain length were increased by 15.41% and 31.44%, respectively, whereas the plant height and spike length were decreased by 26.13% and 37.25%, respectively. Transcriptomic analysis was conducted at the regreening and jointing stages to identify differential expressed genes (DEGs). Functional enrichment analysis with the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) databases showed differential expression of genes associated with ADP binding, transmembrane transport, and transcriptional regulation during tiller development. Differences in tiller number in ot1 led to the upregulation of genes in the strigolactone (SL) and abscisic acid (ABA) pathways. Specifically, the SL biosynthesis genes DWARF (D27), D17, D10, and MORE AXILLARY GROWTH 1 (MAX1) were upregulated by 3.37- to 8.23-fold; the SL signal transduction genes D14 and D53 were upregulated by 1.81- and 1.32-fold, respectively; the ABA biosynthesis genes 9-CIS-EPOXICAROTENOID DIOXIGENASE 3 (NCED3) and NCED5 were upregulated by 1.66- and 3.4-fold, respectively; and SNF1-REGULATED PROTEIN KINASE2 (SnRK2) and PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE 2C (PP2C) genes were upregulated by 1.30- to 4.79-fold. This suggested that the tiller number reduction in ot1 was due to alterations in plant hormone pathways. Genes known to promote tillering growth were upregulated, whereas those known to inhibit tillering growth were downregulated. For example, PIN-FORMED 9 (PIN9), which promotes tiller development, was upregulated by 8.23-fold in ot1; Ideal Plant Architecture 1 (IPA1), which inhibits tiller development, was downregulated by 1.74-fold. There were no significant differences in the expression levels of TILLER NUMBER 1 (TN1) or TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1 (TB1), indicating that the tiller reduction in ot1 was not controlled by known genes. Our findings provide valuable data for subsequent research into the genetic bases and regulatory mechanisms of wheat tillering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum), a major staple crop, has a remarkably large genome of ~14.4 Gb (containing 106 913 high‐confidence [HC] and 159 840 low‐confidence [LC] genes in the Chinese Spring v2.1 reference genome), which poses a major challenge for functional genomics studies. To overcome this hurdle, we performed whole‐exome sequencing to generate a nearly saturated wheat mutant database containing 18 025 209 mutations induced by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), carbon (C)‐ion beams, or γ‐ray mutagenesis. This database contains an average of 47.1 mutations per kb in each gene‐coding sequence: the potential functional mutations were predicted to cover 96.7% of HC genes and 70.5% of LC genes. Comparative analysis of mutations induced by EMS, γ‐rays, or C‐ion beam irradiation revealed that γ‐ray and C‐ion beam mutagenesis induced a more diverse array of variations than EMS, including large‐fragment deletions, small insertions/deletions, and various non‐synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms. As a test case, we combined mutation analysis with phenotypic screening and rapidly mapped the candidate gene responsible for the phenotype of a yellow‐green leaf mutant to a 2.8‐Mb chromosomal region. Furthermore, a proof‐of‐concept reverse genetics study revealed that mutations in gibberellic acid biosynthesis and signalling genes could be associated with negative impacts on plant height. Finally, we built a publically available database of these mutations with the corresponding germplasm (seed stock) repository to facilitate advanced functional genomics studies in wheat for the broad plant research community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plant height (PH) and spike compactness (SC) are important agronomic traits that affect yield improvement in wheat crops. The identification of the loci or genes responsible for these traits is thus of great importance for marker-assisted selection in wheat breeding. Results: In this study, we used a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population with 139 lines derived from a cross between the mutant Rht8-2 and the local wheat variety NongDa5181 (ND5181) to construct a high-density genetic linkage map by applying the Wheat 40 K Panel. We identified seven stable QTLs for PH (three) and SC (four) in two environments using the RIL population, and found that Rht8-B1 is the causal gene of qPH2B.1 by further genetic mapping, gene cloning and gene editing analyses. Our results also showed that two natural variants from GC to TT in the coding region of Rht8-B1 resulted in an amino acid change from G (ND5181) to V (Rht8-2) at the 175th position, reducing PH by 3.6%~6.2% in the RIL population. Moreover, gene editing analysis suggested that the height of T2 generation in Rht8-B1 edited plants was reduced by 5.6%, and that the impact of Rht8-B1 on PH was significantly lower than Rht8-D1. Additionally, analysis of the distribution of Rht8-B1 in various wheat resources suggested that the Rht8-B1b allele has not been widely utilized in modern wheat breeding. Conclusions: The combination of Rht8-B1b with other favorable Rht genes might be an alternative approach for developing lodging-resistant crops. Our study provides important information for marker-assisted selection in wheat breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: A minor-effect QTL, Qhd.2AS, that affects heading date in wheat was mapped to a genomic interval of 1.70-Mb on 2AS, and gene analysis indicated thatthe C2H2-type zinc finger proteingene TraesCS2A02G181200is the best candidate for Qhd.2AS. Heading date (HD) is a complex quantitative trait that determines the regional adaptability of cereal crops, and identifying the underlying genetic elements with minor effects on HD is important for improving wheat production in diverse environments. In this study, a minor QTL for HD that we named Qhd.2AS was detected on the short arm of chromosome 2A by Bulked Segregant Analysis and validated in a recombinant inbred population. Using a segregating population of 4894 individuals, Qhd.2AS was further delimited to an interval of 0.41 cM, corresponding to a genomic region spanning 1.70 Mb (from 138.87 to 140.57 Mb) that contains 16 high-confidence genes based on IWGSC RefSeq v1.0. Analyses of sequence variations and gene transcription indicated that TraesCS2A02G181200, which encodes a C2H2-type zinc finger protein, is the best candidate gene for Qhd.2AS that influences HD. Screening a TILLING mutant library identified two mutants with premature stop codons in TraesCS2A02G181200, both of which exhibited a delay in HD of 2–4 days. Additionally, variations in its putative regulatory sites were widely present in natural accession, and we also identified the allele which was positively selected during wheat breeding. Epistatic analyses indicated that Qhd.2AS-mediated HD variation is independent of VRN-B1 and environmental factors. Phenotypic investigation of homozygous recombinant inbred lines (RILs) and F2:3 families showed that Qhd.2AS has no negative effect on yield-related traits. These results provide important cues for refining HD and therefore improving yield in wheat breeding programs and will deepen our understanding of the genetic regulation of HD in cereal plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heading date (HD) is an important trait for wide adaptability and yield stability in wheat. The Vernalization 1 (VRN1) gene is a key regulatory factor controlling HD in wheat. The identification of allelic variations in VRN1 is crucial for wheat improvement as climate change becomes more of a threat to agriculture. In this study, we identified an EMS-induced late-heading wheat mutant je0155 and crossed it with wide-type (WT) Jing411 to construct an F2 population of 344 individuals. Through Bulk Segregant Analysis (BSA) of early and late-heading plants, we identified a Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) for HD on chromosome 5A. Further genetic linkage analysis limited the QTL to a physical region of 0.8 Mb. Cloning and sequencing revealed three copies of VRN-A1 in the WT and mutant lines; one copy contained a missense mutation of C changed to T in exon 4 and another copy contained a mutation in intron 5. Genotype and phenotype analysis of the segregation population validated that the mutations in VRN-A1 contributed to the late HD phenotype in the mutant. Expression analysis of C- or T-type alleles in exon 4 of the WT and mutant lines indicated that this mutation led to lower expression of VRN-A1, which resulted in the late-heading of je0155. This study provides valuable information for the genetic regulation of HD and many important resources for HD refinement in wheat breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant height is a key agronomic trait that is closely to the plant morphology and lodging resistance in wheat. However, at present, the few dwarf genes widely used in wheat breeding have narrowed wheat genetic diversity. In this study, we selected a semi-dwarf wheat mutant dwarf33 that exhibits decreased plant height with little serious negative impact on other agronomic traits. Genetic analysis and mutant gene mapping indicated that dwarf33 contains a new recessive semi-dwarf gene Rht-SN33d, which was mapped into ~1.3 Mb interval on the 3DL chromosome. The gibberellin metabolism-related gene TraesCS3D02G542800, which encodes gibberellin 2-beta-dioxygenase, is considered a potential candidate gene of Rht-SN33d. Rht-SN33d reduced plant height by approximately 22.4% in mutant dwarf33. Further study revealed that shorter stem cell length may be the main factor causing plant height decrease. In addition, the coleoptile length of dwarf33 was just 9.3% shorter than that of wild-type Shaannong33. These results will help to expand our understanding of new mechanisms of wheat height regulation, and obtain new germplasm for wheat improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several health benefits are obtained from resistant starch, also known as healthy starch. Enhancing resistant starch with genetic modification has huge commercial importance. The variation of resistant starch content is narrow in wheat, in relation to which limited improvement has been attained. Hence, there is a need to produce a wheat population that has a wide range of variations in resistant starch content. In the present study, stable mutants were screened that showed significant variation in the resistant starch content. A megazyme kit was used for measuring the resistant starch content, digestible starch, and total starch. The analysis of variance showed a significant difference in the mutant population for resistant starch. Furthermore, four diverse mutant lines for resistant starch content were used to study the quantitative expression patterns of 21 starch metabolic pathway genes; and to evaluate the candidate genes for resistant starch biosynthesis. The expression pattern of 21 starch metabolic pathway genes in two diverse mutant lines showed a higher expression of key genes regulating resistant starch biosynthesis (GBSSI and their isoforms) in the high resistant starch mutant lines, in comparison to the parent variety (J411). The expression of SBEs genes was higher in the low resistant starch mutants. The other three candidate genes showed overexpression (BMY, Pho1, Pho2) and four had reduced (SSIII, SBEI, SBEIII, ISA3) expression in high resistant starch mutants. The overexpression of AMY and ISA1 in the high resistant starch mutant line JE0146 may be due to missense mutations in these genes. Similarly, there was a stop_gained mutation for PHO2; it also showed overexpression. In addition, the gene expression analysis of 21 starch metabolizing genes in four different mutants (low and high resistant starch mutants) shows that in addition to the important genes, several other genes (phosphorylase, isoamylases) may be involved and contribute to the biosynthesis of resistant starch. There is a need to do further study about these new genes, which are responsible for the fluctuation of resistant starch in the mutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As climate change continues to negatively impact our farmlands, abiotic factors like salinity and drought stress increasingly threaten global food security. The development of elite germplasms with resistance to multiple abiotic stresses is essential for breeding climate-resilient wheat cultivars. In this study, we determined that the previously reported salt-tolerant st1 mutant, obtained via spaceflight mutagenesis, may also resist to drought stress at the seedling stage. Moreover, our field trial revealed that yield-related traits including plant height, 1000-grain weight, and spike number per plant were significantly increased in st1 compared to the wild type. An F 2 population of 334 individuals derived from a cross between the wild type and st1 displayed a bimodal distribution indicating that st1 plant height is controlled by a single major gene. Our Bulked Segregant Analysis and exome capture sequencing indicate that this gene is located on chromosome 4D. Further genetic linkage and gene sequence analysis suggests that a reverse mutation of Rht2 is putatively responsible for plant height variation in st1. Our genotypic and phenotypic analysis of the F 2 population and F 3 lines indicate that this reverse mutation significantly increases plant height and thousand grain weight but slightly decreases spike number per plant. Together, these results supply helpful information for the utilization of Rht2 in wheat breeding and provide an important material for breeding environmentally resilient, high-yield wheat varieties. • The st1 mutant is tolerant to drought stress at seedling stage. • Plant height, grain weight and spike number of st1 were significantly increased. • Gene mapping indicates that a reverse mutation of Rht2 enhances st1 plant height. • The mutation in Rht2 also increases grain weight but decreases spike number in st1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purposes of this study were to provide palynological information about apricots and to reveal the relationships among six ecological groups of apricots by describing the morphological characteristics of their pollen. The pollen grains of 175 accessions belonging to three species (Prunus armeniaca L., Prunus sibirica L., and Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.) of Prunus were examined using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The pollen grains were isopolar monads, radially symmetric, medium to large in size, prolate or subprolate, and 3-colporate. Most pollen grains exhibited striate exine ornamentation, and a few exhibited striato-reticulate or cerebroid exine ornamentation. Cluster analysis divided the six ecological groups into two groups: one including the Central Asian, North China, and Dzhungar-Ili ecological group accessions and another including the Northeast Asian, European, and East China ecological group accessions. Principal component analysis revealed that equatorial diameter, colpus length, colpus width, and ridge width were the most important metrical pollen traits, and can be used as powerful diagnostic characters in apricot identification. We speculated that the cultivated apricots in Xinjiang were domesticated from wild apricots from the Ili Valley. This study describes the morphological characteristics of apricot pollen grains and provides some morphological information for future studies on the phylogenetic relationships of apricots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Heading time is one of the most important agronomic traits in wheat, as it largely affects both adaptation to different agro-ecological conditions and yield potential. Identification of genes underlying the regulation of wheat heading and the development of diagnostic markers could facilitate our understanding of genetic control of this process. Results: In this study, we developed 400 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) by crossing a γ-ray-induced early heading mutant (eh1) with the late heading cultivar, Lunxuan987. Bulked Segregant Analysis (BSA) of both RNA and DNA pools consisting of various RILs detected a quantitative trait loci (QTL) for heading date located on chromosomes 5B, and further genetic linkage analysis limited the QTL to a 3.31 cM region. We then identified a large deletion in the first intron of the vernalization gene VRN-B1 in eh1, and showed it was associated with the heading phenotype in the RIL population. However, it is not the mutation loci that resulted in early heading phonotype in the mutant compared to that of wildtype. RNA-seq analysis suggested that Vrn-B3 and several newly discovered genes, including beta-amylase 1 (BMY1) and anther-specific protein (RTS), were highly expressed in both the mutant and early heading pool with the dominant Vrn-B1 genotype compared to that of Lunxuan987 and late heading pool. Enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified several key pathways previously reported to be associated with flowering, including fatty acid elongation, starch and sucrose metabolism, and flavonoid biosynthesis. Conclusion: The development of new markers for Vrn-B1 in this study supplies an alternative solution for marker-assisted breeding to optimize heading time in wheat and the DEGs analysis provides basic information for VRN-B1 regulation study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Wheat mutant resources with phenotypic variation have been developed in recent years. These mutants might carry favorable mutation alleles, which have the potential to be utilized in the breeding process. Plant architecture and yield-related features are important agronomic traits for wheat breeders and mining favorable alleles of these traits will improve wheat characteristics. Results: Here we used 190 wheat phenotypic mutants as material and by analyzing their SNP variation and phenotypic data, mutation alleles for plant architecture and yield-related traits were identified, and the genetic effects of these alleles were evaluated. In total, 32 mutation alleles, including three pleiotropic alleles, significantly associated with agronomic traits were identified from the 190 wheat mutant lines. The SNPs were distributed on 12 chromosomes and were associated with plant height (PH), tiller number, flag leaf angle (FLA), thousand grain weight (TGW), and other yield-related traits. Further phenotypic analysis of multiple lines carrying the same mutant allele was performed to determine the effect of the allele on the traits of interest. PH-associated SNPs on chromosomes 2BL, 3BS, 3DL, and 5DL might show additive effects, reducing PH by 10.0 cm to 31.3 cm compared with wild type, which means that these alleles may be favorable for wheat improvement. Only unfavorable mutation alleles that reduced TGW and tiller number were identified. A region on chromosome 5DL with mutation alleles for PH and TGW contained several long ncRNAs, and their sequences shared more than 90% identity with cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase genes. Some of the mutation alleles we mined were colocalized with previously reported QTLs or genes while others were novel; these novel alleles could also result in phenotypic variation. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that favorable mutation alleles are present in mutant resources, and the region between 409.5 to 419.8 Mb on chromosome 5DL affects wheat plant height and thousand grain weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starch is synthesized from a series of reactions catalyzed by enzymes. ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) initiates the synthesis pathway and synthesizes ADP-glucose, the substrate of starch synthase (SS), of which SSIV is an isoform. Mutations of the AGPase subunit and SSIV-coding genes affect starch content and cause variation in the number of granules. Here, we pyramided the functional mutation alleles of the AGPase subunit gene TaAGP.L-B1 and the SSIV-coding gene TaSSIVb-D to elucidate their synergistic effects on other key starch biosynthesis genes and their impact on starch content. Both the TaAGP.L-B1 and TaSSIVb-D genes were expressed in wheat grain development, and the expression level of TaAGP.L-B1 was higher than that of TaSSIVb-D. The TaAGP.L-B1 gene was downregulated in the agp.L-B1 single and agp.L-B1/ssIV-D double mutants at 12 to 18 days after flowering (DAF). TaSSIVb-D expression was significantly reduced at 6 DAF in both ssIV-D single and double mutants. In the agp.L-B1/ssIV-D double mutant, TaGBSSII was upregulated, while TaAGPSS, TaSSI, and TaSBEII were downregulated. Under the interaction of these genes, the total starch and amylopectin contents were significantly decreased in agp.L-B1 and agp.L-B1/ssIV-D mutants. The results suggested that the mutations of TaAGP.L-B1 and TaSSIVb-D genes resulted in variation in the expression patterns of the other four starch synthetic genes and led to a reduction in starch and amylopectin contents. These mutants could be used further as germplasm for resistant starch analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homeodomain proteins encoded by BEL1 - and KNAT1 -type genes are ubiquitously distributed across plant species and play important roles in growth and development, whereby a comprehensive investigation of their molecular interactions and potential functions in wheat is of great significance. In this study, we systematically investigated the phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, conserved domains, and cis -acting elements of 34 TaBEL and 34 TaKNAT genes in the wheat genome. Our analysis revealed these genes evolved under different selective pressures and showed variable transcript levels in different wheat tissues. Subcellular localization analysis further indicated the proteins encoded by these genes were either exclusively located in the nucleus or both in the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Additionally, a comprehensive protein-protein interaction network was constructed with representative genes in which each TaBEL or TaKNAT proteins interact with at least two partners. The evaluation of wheat mutants identified key genes, including TaBEL-5B , TaBEL-4A.4 , and TaKNAT6 , which are involved in grain-related traits. Finally, haplotype analysis suggests TaKNAT-6B is associated with grain-related traits and is preferentially selected among a large set of wheat accessions. Our study provides important information on BEL1 - and KNAT1 -type gene families in wheat, and lays the foundation for functional research in the future. • Selective pressures shaped composition and structure of TaBELs and TaKNATs. • Extensive protein interactions between wheat BEL1 - and KNAT1 -type members. • Mutant analysis associates key homeobox genes with wheat kernel-related traits. • Haplotypes of TaKNAT-6B are preferentially selected in wheat accessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop productivity is highly dependent on the application of N fertilizers, but ever-increasing N application is causing serious environmental impacts. To facilitate the development of new wheat cultivars that can thrive in low N growth conditions, key loci and genes associated with wheat responses to low N must be identified. In this GWAS and t-test study of 190 M6 mutant wheat lines (Jing 411-derived) based on genotype data from the wheat 660k SNP array, we identified a total of 221 significant SNPs associated four seedling phenotypic traits that have been implicated in resistance to low N: relative root length, relative shoot length, relative root weight, and relative shoot weight. Notably, we detected large numbers of significantly associated SNP in what appear to be genomic ‘hotspots’ for resistance to low N on chromosomes 2A and 6B, strongly suggesting that these regions are functionally related to the resistance phenotypes that we observed in some of the mutant lines. Moreover, the candidate genes, including genes encoding high-affinity nitrate transporter 2.1, gibberellin responsive protein, were identified for resistance to low N. This study raises plausible mechanistic hypotheses that can be evaluated in future applied or basic efforts by breeders or plant biologists seeking to develop new high-NUE wheat cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chloroplast development is an integral part of plant survival and growth, and occurs in parallel with chlorophyll biosynthesis. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying chloroplast development in hexaploid wheat. Here, we obtained a spaceflight-induced wheat albino mutant mta. Chloroplast ultra-structural observation showed that chloroplasts of mta exhibit abnormal morphology and distribution compared to wild type. Photosynthetic pigments content was also significantly decreased in mta. Transcriptome and chloroplast proteome profiling of mta and wild type were done to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and proteins (DEPs), respectively. In total 4,588 DEGs including 1,980 up- and 2,608 down-regulated, and 48 chloroplast DEPs including 15 up- and 33 down-regulated were identified in mta. Classification of DEGs revealed that most were involved in chloroplast development, chlorophyll biosynthesis, or photosynthesis. Besides, transcription factors such as PIF3, GLK and MYB which might participate in those pathways were also identified. The correlation analysis between DEGs and DEPs revealed that the transcript-to-protein in abundance was functioned into photosynthesis and chloroplast relevant groups. Real time qPCR analysis validated that the expression level of genes encoding photosynthetic proteins was significantly decreased in mta. Together, our results suggest that the molecular mechanism for albino leaf color formation in mta is a thoroughly regulated and complicated process. The combined analysis of transcriptome and proteome afford comprehensive information for further research on chloroplast development mechanism in wheat. And spaceflight provides a potential means for mutagenesis in crop breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the radiosensitivity of plants, an important factor in crop mutation breeding programs, requires a thorough investigation of the factors that contribute to this trait. In this study, we used the highly radiosensitive wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) variety HY1 and J411, a γ-irradiation-insensitive control, which were screened from a natural population, to examine the factors affecting radiosensitivity, including free radical content and total antioxidant capacity, as well as the expression of TaKu70 and TaKu80 (DNA repair-related genes) as measured by real-time PCR. We also investigated the alternative splicing of this gene in the wild-type wheat ecotype by sequence analysis. Free radical contents and total antioxidant capacity significantly increased upon exposure of HY1 wheat to γ-irradiation in a dose-dependent manner. By contrast, in J411, the free radical contents exhibited a similar trend, but the total antioxidant capacity exhibited a downward trend upon increasing γ-irradiation. Additionally, we detected dose-dependent increases in TaKu70 and TaKu80 expression levels in γ-irradiated HY1, while in J411, TaKu70 expression levels increased, followed by a decline. We also detected alternative splicing of TaKu70 mRNA, namely, intron retention, in HY1 but not in J411. Our findings indicate that γ-irradiation induces oxidative stress and DNA damage in hexaploid wheat, resulting in growth retardation of seedlings, and they suggest that TaKu70 may play a causal role in radiosensitivity in HY1. Further studies are required to exploit these factors to improve radiosensitivity in other wheat varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Wheat with high anther culture ability would be beneficial for breeding. We aimed to screen a wheat germplasm to with high anther culture ability as well as good agronomic characteristics. RESULTS The F1 young spikes of winter wheat cross combination Yanfu188/Jimai37 were irradiated with gamma rays at a dose of 1.5 Gy to develop a new germplasm H307 with high anther culture ability. The proportion of green plantlets per 100 anthers ( GP/ 100A) of H307 was 14.50% which was higher than other H2 lines ( P < 0.05). Analysis over three successive years (2006-2008) revealed that the green plantlet regeneration ability of H307 remained high in all 3 years. Reciprocal crosses between H307 and Nongda3308 showed no significant differences in their values for calli per 100 anthers ( CA/ 100A), green plantlets per 100 calli ( GP/ 100C) and GP/ 100A ( P > 0.05). Five main wheat varieties used in production, namely Yumai68, Yanzhan4110, Bainongaikang58, Zhoumai18 and Xinmai18, were selected to cross with the new H307. CA/ 100A, GP/ 100C and GP/ 100A were used to assess the anther culture ability of F1 hybrids, demonstrating that the anther culture ability of H307 was heritable. CONCLUSION H307 possessed high anther culture ability that was heritable, which would be potential germplasm for improving wheat anther breeding ability. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The metabolism of carotenoids in apricot fruit was studied by LC-MS/MS. • ε-Carotene, α-cryptoxanthin and apocarotenal were found in apricot fruit. • The diversity of carotenoid components and contents of the Central Asian variety group in Xinjiang were explored. • β-carotene and (E/Z)-phytoene are the main carotenoids in apricot fruits. • The content of carotenoids in the peel of 41 apricot fruits was higher than that in the flesh. The carotenoids in the peel and flesh of 41 apricot cultivars were qualitatively and quantitatively analysed by UHPLC-APCI-MS/MS, and the L*, a*, b* and quality indexes of the fruits were determined. The results showed that the L*, a*, b* and quality indexes of the fruits were quite different, and 13 carotenoids were detected in the peel and flesh of apricots, among which ε-carotene, α-cryptoxanthin and apocarotenal were newly detected carotenoids in apricots. The total carotenoid content of the 41 apricot cultivars varied from 20.983 to 320.278 μg/g FW, and the total carotenoid content varied from 17.353 to 222.098 μg/g FW in the peel and from 2.536 to 98.179 μg/g FW in the flesh. The main components of apricot fruits were β-carotene and (E/Z)-phytoene, followed by β-cryptoxanthin and lutein. This study shows that carotenoids in apricot fruits have rich metabolic diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy-ion beam irradiation is an effective approach for mutation breeding. Understanding the damage effects and molecular variation induced by mutagenesis is of great significance for improving mutation breeding efficiency. The molecular changes induced by 7Li-ion beam irradiation in wheat have been scarcely reported. In this study, we compared the biological damage effects of different doses of 7Li-ion beam irradiation on the M 1 seedlings of two wheat varieties with different γ irradiation sensitivities, Jing411 and Heyou1, and found that doses of 25, 50, 75 and 100 Gy significantly decreased the germination rate and seedling height. Moreover, transcriptome sequencing of three biological replicates of each irradiated sample and unirradiated control revealed that more single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) than small insertions and deletions (indels) were induced by various doses of 7Li-ion beam irradiation in both varieties. Substantially elevated frequencies of mutations relative to gene density were observed on 0–10 Mb of chromosome 1A, 80–90 Mb of chromosome 1B, 720–730 Mb of chromosome 2B, 280–290 Mb of chromosome 3B, 580–590 Mb of chromosome 3D, and 150–160 Mb of chromosome 5D, indicating that mutation hotspots existed in these regions. In addition, KEGG enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between control and irradiated wheat revealed pathways significantly enriched in both Jing411 and Heyou1, including "Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis", "Phenylalanine metabolism" and "Photosynthesis-antenna proteins". These pathways may play key roles in the response to 7Li-ion beam irradiation. The analysis of genes commonly upregulated under various doses of irradiation indicated that genes involved in antioxidant processes are active in the response to 7Li-ion beam irradiation. This transcriptome dataset provides a valuable public information platform for investigating the transcriptome sequence variation induced by 7Li-ion beam-induced mutagenesis and offers a basis for crop mutation breeding. • Two wheat varieties showed different responses to 7Li-ion beam irradiation. • More SNV than indels were induced by various doses of 7Li-ion beam irradiation. • Hotspot mutations were detected by comparing frequency of mutations and gene. • The pathways and genes in the response to 7Li-ion beam irradiation were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The pollen grains had three germination furrows, and the main type of pollen grain exine ornamentation was stripe ornamentation. • According to Erdtman's NPC classification system, the pear pollen was of the N 3 P 4 C5 type. • There were interspecific and variety or type differences in floral organ and pollen morphology. • There were many similarities between the 'Korla fragrant pear' and local pear varieties in Xinjiang, which should be classified within the Pyrus sinkiangensis Yü. system. The characters of floral organ and pollen of local pear varieties in Xinjiang, such as the 'Korla fragrant pear' and 39 other varieties or types, Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd., Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai., and Pyrus communis L. were measured and described. The genetic relationships between the 'Korla fragrant pear' and other local pear varieties in Xinjiang were analyzed by clustering. The number of flowers per inflorescence of varieties or types was approximately 7.6, and the difference in the number of stamens was small. Except for 'Aiwenqieke', 'Qipanli' and 'Daxiangshui', which had no pollen, the pollen quantity of the varieties or types was 1000.0–5000.0 grains. The pollen grains were isopolar and radiation symmetrical single-grain. The pollen grains had three germination furrows, and the main type of pollen grain exine ornamentation was stripe ornamentation. According to Erdtman's NPC classification system, the pear pollen was of the N 3 P 4 C 5 type. According to the clustering results, there was high similarity between the 'Korla fragrant pear' and Pyrus sinkiangensis Yü. The 'Korla fragrant pear' clustered with most local varieties in Xinjiang, and a genetic relationship between P. bretschneideri and P. pyrifolia was observed. There were interspecific and variety or type differences in floral organ and pollen morphology between P. sinkiangensis and P. bretschneideri , P. pyrifolia , Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim., P. communis and Pyrus betulifolia Bunge. There were many similarities between the 'Korla fragrant pear' and local pear varieties in Xinjiang, which should be classified within the P. sinkiangensis system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat is a staple food commodity grown worldwide, and wheat starch is a valuable source of energy and carbon that constitutes 80% of the grain weight. Manipulation of genes involved in starch synthesis significantly affects wheat grain weight and yield. TaSSIV plays an important role in starch synthesis and its main function is granule formation. To mine and stack more favorable alleles, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TaSSIV-A, B, and D were investigated across 362 wheat accessions by Ecotype-Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN Genome (EcoTILLING). As a result, a total of 38 SNPs in the amplified regions of three TaSSIV genes were identified, of which 10, 15, and 13 were in TaSSIV-A, B, and D, respectively. These 38 SNPs were evaluated by using KASP and six SNPs showed an allele frequency >5% whereas the rest were <5%, i.e., considered to be minor alleles. In the Chinese mini core collection, three haplotypes were detected for TaSSIV–A and three for TaSSIV–B. The results of an association study in the Chinese mini core collection with thousand grain weight (TGW) and spike length (SPL) showed that Hap-2-1A was significantly associated with TGW and Hap-3-1B with SPL. Allelic frequency and geographic distribution indicated that the favored haplotype (Hap-2-1A) has been positively selected in Chinese wheat breeding. These results suggested that the Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) markers can be applied in starch improvement to ultimately improve wheat yield by marker assisted selection in wheat breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]