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The September rainfall over Northern China (NC) in 2021 was the heaviest since 1961 and had unprecedented socioeconomic impacts. Holding the hypothesis that the drivers of extreme climate events usually contain extreme factors, we firstly propose the Ranking Attribution Method (RAM) to find the possible air–sea multi-factors responsible for this rainfall event. Via the atmospheric bridges of zonal-vertical circulation and Rossby wave energy propagation, the remote factors of warm sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) over the tropical Atlantic, cold SSTA over the tropical Pacific, Southern Annular Mode-like pattern in the Southern Hemisphere and North Pacific Oscillation-like pattern in the Northern Hemisphere jointly strengthened the Maritime Continent (MC) convection and Indian monsoon (IM). Through meridional-vertical circulation, the intensified MC convection enhanced the subtropical high over southern China and induced ascending motion over NC. The local factor of extreme air acceleration in the east Asian upper-level jet entrance region further anchored the location of the southwest-northeast rain belt. The strengthened IM and subtropical high over southern China induced considerable moisture transport to the rain belt via two moisture channels. The combined effect of these extreme dynamic and moisture conditions formed this unprecedented rainfall event. This study suggests that the RAM can effectively reveal the factors that contributed to this extreme rainfall event, which could provide a new pathway for a better understanding of extreme climate events.

Tea (Camellia sinensis), which originated in southwest of China 60 - 70 million years ago, is widely consumed as a beverage for its potential enhancing effect on human health with rich polyphenol content (Pan et al. 2022). From October to December in 2021, a disease with symptoms similar to leaf spot affected the quality and yield of tea Puer (102°73 'E, 25°07' N), Yunnan province, China. Based on the survey, leaf spot symptoms were observed on approximately 60% of tea plants in a 5,700 m2 field. The symptoms initially appeared as shrinking, yellowing, and later became circular or irregular brown spots. To isolate the pathogen, 10 symptomatic leaves were collected from 10 trees, and portions of the diseased tissue (0.5×0.5 cm) were cut at the junction of infected and healthy tissues. After surface sterilization (0.5 min with 75% ethanol and 2 min with 3% NaOCl, washed three times with sterilized distilled water), the disinfected pieces were dried and plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 25°C in the dark for 5 days. Four single-spore isolates, FH-1, FH-5, FH-6 and FH-7, were obtained, these isolates were identical in morphology and in the sequences of internal transcribed spacer region [ITS] and translation elongation factor 1-alpha [TEF] genes. Therefore, the representative isolate FH-5 was used for further study. Fungal colonies were white or light yellow on PDA after 7 days incubated at 28ºC. Conidia were hyaline, round or oval, aseptate, occur singly or in clusters on hyphae or conidia stalks, and measured as 2.94 ± 1.79 × 1.82 ± 0.2 μm (n = 50). Primary conidiophores is Verticillium-like (Fig1.K,L), which generally formed first, 1-3-level verticillate, mostly with divergent branches and phialides, and measured as 16.67 ± 4.39 µm (n = 50). Secondary conidiophores is penicillate (Fig1.I,J), which generally appearing after one week, sometimes even more often branched, and with a length of 16.02 ± 3.83 µm (n = 50). The morphological features were consistent with the descriptions of Clonostachys rosea Schroers H.J. (Schroers et al. 1999). The pathogen was confirmed to be C. rosea by amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF) genes using primers ITS1/ITS4 and EF1-728F/EF1-986R, respectively (Fu Rongtao 2019). The sequences of PCR products were deposited in GenBank with accession numbers ON332533 (ITS) and OP080234 (TEF). BLAST searches of the obtained sequences revealed 99.22% (510/514 nucleotides) and 98.37% (241/245 nucleotides) homology with those of C. rosea HQ-9-1 form GenBank (MZ433177 and MZ451399, respectively). Phylogenetic analysis (MEGA 7.0) using the maximum likelihood method placed the isolate FH-5 in a well-supported cluster with C. rosea. The pathogenicity of FH-5 was tested through a pot assay. Ten healthy tea plants were scratched with a sterilized needle on the leaves. Plants were inoculated by spraying a spore suspension (105 spores·mL−1) of FH-5 onto leaves until runoff, and the control leaves sprayed with sterile water. Inoculated plants were put in an artificial climate box at 25℃, 70% relative humidity. The pathogenicity test was replicated three times. Symptoms developed on all inoculated leaves but not on the control leaves. Lesions around the wound edge became pale yellow, and brown spots were first observed at 72 h after inoculation, and typical lesions similar to those observed on field plants appeared after two weeks. The same fungus was reisolated and identified based on the morphological characterization and molecular analyses (ITS and TEF) from the infected leaves but not from the noninoculated leaves. In addition, C. rosea has also been reported to cause diseases to broad bean (N. Afshari et al. 2017 ), garlic (Diaz et al. 2022), beet (Haque M.E et al. 2020) and other plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf spot on tea caused by C. rosea in China. This study provides valuable information for the identification and control of the leaf spot on tea.

Mutations in RET have been found in multiple diseases including isolated and associated congenital anomalies. Here, we report a case presented with disparate phenotypes in each pregnancy but caused by the same novel mutation. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on the proband/abortion product-parental trio and a novel missense variant in RET (chr10:43615610C G; c.2689C G; p.Arg897Gly) was identified. The mother was a low-level somatic carrier of this new mutation, with 17.3% in blood, 19.1% in oralmucous membrane, and 15.7% in urine by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (dd PCR). Our finding not only broadens the mutation spectrum of RET but also gives supportive genetic counseling and timely guidance on fertility choices.

With the development of offshore wind power, three-level wind power converters have begun to be widely used in wind farms, but there has always been a problem of low-frequency fluctuations in bus voltage, which will seriously affect the power quality of wind farms. This paper studies a GA-BP neural network optimization control method, injecting zero-sequence components on the basis of the sine pulse width modulation strategy of carrier stacking, and then optimizing the neural network weights and thresholds through genetic algorithm, and the bus capacitor voltage Low-frequency fluctuations are tracked and compensated to improve the predictive ability of the control system. This combination of zero-sequence voltage injection and injection-compensated low-frequency fluctuation components solves the problem of bus voltage fluctuations. Through Matlab/simulink simulation analysis and 1140V wind power converter experimental verification, the verification results show that the bus voltage fluctuation is reduced by 50%, and the grid current waveform is improved. The proposed scheme can well solve some of the influences caused by the fluctuation of the bus voltage in the wind power converter, ensure the operation reliability of the wind power system and improve the operation efficiency of the wind power system.

Background: Clinical expression of DUOX2 gene variants is differential in patients with congenital hypothyroidism (CH). We investigated whether the molecular etiology of DUOX2 gene variants in CH patients can predict disease outcome, drug dosage, and follow-up period. Potential pathogenic variants were detected in 98 CH patients using whole-exome sequencing. Differences in diagnostic indicators and sustained Levothyroxine (L-T4)therapeutic dose between biallelic and monoallelic groups were compared. Results: The variant detection rate was 77.55%, and 149 variants were identified across 9 genes. Variants in the DUOX2 gene were of 50 types and showed the highest detection rate, with a frequency of 74.50% (111/149). Variants of interest were p.R1110Q (17.12%, 19/111) and p.K530* (16.22%, 18/111), where the former had a higher incidence of permanent hypothyroidism (PCH; 75%, 9/12). Patients with variants in the ferric oxidoreductase domain are more likely to develop PCH. Heel blood thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in the monoallelic group (176.50 [111.68, 272.50] mIU/L) were higher than those of the biallelic group (57.50 [15.30, 112.25] mIU/L; P = 0.001). The L-T4 doses of the monoallelic group at 1 and 3 years of age (36.83 ± 8.23 and 39.18 ± 15.71 µg/day, respectively) were significantly higher than those in the biallelic group (25.87 ± 9.05 and 25.38 ± 9.30 µg/day; P = 0.008 and P = 0.030, respectively). Conclusions: Patients with the p.R1110Q variant are more likely to develop PCH. Relatively high heel blood TSH levels in patients with normal-sized in situ glands harboring monoallelic DUOX2 variant evidenced increased doses and follow-up frequency during treatment.

In this paper, we investigate the influence of the winter NAO on the multidecadal variability of winter East Asian surface air temperature (EASAT) and EASAT decadal prediction. The observational analysis shows that the winter EASAT and East Asian minimum SAT (EAmSAT) display strong in-phase fluctuations and a significant 60–80-year multidecadal variability, apart from a long-term warming trend. The winter EASAT experienced a decreasing trend in the last two decades, which is consistent with the occurrence of extremely cold events in East Asia winters in recent years. The winter NAO leads the detrended winter EASAT by 12–18 years with the greatest significant positive correlation at the lead time of 15 years. Further analysis shows that ENSO may affect winter EASAT interannual variability, but does not affect the robust lead relationship between the winter NAO and EASAT. We present the coupled oceanic-atmospheric bridge (COAB) mechanism of the NAO influences on winter EASAT multidecadal variability through its accumulated delayed effect of ∼15 years on the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and Africa–Asia multidecadal teleconnection (AAMT) pattern. An NAO-based linear model for predicting winter decadal EASAT is constructed on the principle of the COAB mechanism, with good hindcast performance. The winter EASAT for 2020–34 is predicted to keep on fluctuating downward until ∼2025, implying a high probability of occurrence of extremely cold events in coming winters in East Asia, followed by a sudden turn towards sharp warming. The predicted 2020/21 winter EASAT is almost the same as the 2019/20 winter.

Summary Hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) provides straightforward methods to generate open-shell radical intermediates from R-H (R = C, Si, etc.) bonds and offers unique opportunities for green and sustainable synthesis. Traditional HAT protocols required harsh conditions and relied on the use of harmful reagents such as Cl2 and peroxides. An emerging strategy is photoinduced intermolecular HAT, in which transformations can be driven by photocatalysis under mild conditions. In recent years, photoinduced intermolecular HAT reactions have seen substantial development of their versatility, efficiency, and selectivity. This review summarizes recent advances (up to December 2020) in this rapidly expanding research area. The representative examples provided are classified according to the active species responsible for hydrogen atom abstraction. The reactivity, selectivity, and established transformations for each type of active species are briefly summarized. This review aims to provide guidance for the application of photoinduced HAT in R-H functionalization reactions and to inspire further progress in this research area.

Custom-built VR motion tracking sensors

Background Seed dormancy, a quality characteristic that plays a role in seed germination, seedling establishment and grain yield, is affected by multiple genes and environmental factors. The genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying seed dormancy in rice remain largely unknown. Results Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for seed dormancy were identified in two different mapping populations, a chromosome segment substitution line (CSSL) and backcross inbred line (BIL) population, both derived from the same parents Nipponbare, a japonica cultivar with seed dormancy, and 9311, an indica cultivar lacking seed dormancy. A total of 12 and 27 QTL regions for seed dormancy were detected in the CSSLs and BILs, respectively. Among these regions, four major loci (qSD3.1, qSD3.2, qSD5.2 and qSD11.2) were commonly identified for multiple germination parameters associated with seed dormancy in both populations, with Nipponbare alleles delaying the seed germination percentage and decreasing germination uniformity. Two loci (qSD3.1 and qSD3.2) were individually validated in the near-isogenic lines containing the QTL of interest. The effect of qSD3.2 was further confirmed in a CSSL-derived F2 population. Furthermore, both qSD3.1 and qSD3.2 were sensitive to abscisic acid and exhibited a significant epistatic interaction to increase seed dormancy. Conclusions Our results indicate that the integration of the developed CSSLs and BILs with high-density markers can provide a powerful tool for dissecting the genetic basis of seed dormancy in rice. Our findings regarding the major loci and their interactions with several promising candidate genes that are induced by abscisic acid and specifically expressed in the seeds will facilitate further gene discovery and a better understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms of seed dormancy for improving seed quality in rice breeding programs.

In this paper, the synergistic effect of the preceding winter positive Northern Hemisphere annular mode (pNAM) and spring negative tropical North Atlantic (nTNA) sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) on spring extreme cold events in the mid-high latitudes of East Asia (MHEA) is investigated. The results show that the co-occurrence of the two factors is unfavorable for extreme cold events during spring in the MHEA via the snow cover and atmospheric bridges. Over the Atlantic, the spring nTNA SSTA can lead to an atmospheric response that is similar to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), which enhances the persistence of the pNAM and in turn amplifies the negative spring Eurasian snow cover extent (EASCE) anomaly caused by the preceding winter pNAM. Meanwhile, the spring EASCE is closely related to the spring MHEA anomalous anticyclone. In addition to storing its signal in the spring EASCE, the spring nTNA SSTA can also lead to the spring MHEA anomalous anticyclone via the eastward Rossby wave train. The evidence shows that the Rossby wave energy can propagate eastward to the MHEA as a result of the enhanced negative spring EASCE anomaly and Rossby wave induced by the spring nTNA SSTA, and the two factors have an obvious synergistic effect on the spring MHEA anomalous anticyclone. This anomalous MHEA anticyclone becomes a barrier that can hinder the intrusion of cold air from the polar region and can increase the thickness of the atmospheric layer. The anomalous sinking motion of the spring MHEA anomalous anticyclone can also lead to an increase in net radiation received at the surface and increase the air temperature through the vertical motion of air. The southerly wind over the west side of the spring MHEA anomalous anticyclone leads to horizontal warm advection. All of the above processes favor an increase in air temperature and dampen extreme cold events, implying the synergistic effect of the preceding winter pNAM and spring nTNA SSTA on spring extreme cold events in the MHEA.

In previous study, ectopic expression of GhSAMDC

Background: The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with COVID-19 and its association with mortality and disease severity is understudied in the Canadian population. Objective: To determine the incidence of AKI in a cohort of patients with COVID-19 admitted to medicine and intensive care unit (ICU) wards, its association with in-hospital mortality, and disease severity. Our aim was to stratify these outcomes by out-of-hospital AKI and in-hospital AKI. Design: Retrospective cohort study from a registry of patients with COVID-19. Setting: Three community and 3 academic hospitals. Patients: A total of 815 patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 between March 4, 2020, and April 23, 2021. Measurements: Stage of AKI, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and in-hospital mortality. Methods: We classified AKI by comparing highest to lowest recorded serum creatinine in hospital and staged AKI based on the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) system. We calculated the unadjusted and adjusted odds ratio for the stage of AKI and the outcomes of ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and in-hospital mortality. Results: Of the 815 patients registered, 439 (53.9%) developed AKI, 253 (57.6%) presented with AKI, and 186 (42.4%) developed AKI in-hospital. The odds of ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and death increased as the AKI stage worsened. Stage 3 AKI that occurred during hospitalization increased the odds of death (odds ratio [OR] = 7.87 [4.35, 14.23]). Stage 3 AKI that occurred prior to hospitalization carried an increased odds of death (OR = 5.28 [2.60, 10.73]). Limitations: Observational study with small sample size limits precision of estimates. Lack of nonhospitalized patients with COVID-19 and hospitalized patients without COVID-19 as controls limits causal inferences. Conclusions: Acute kidney injury, whether it occurs prior to or after hospitalization, is associated with a high risk of poor outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Routine assessment of kidney function in patients with COVID-19 may improve risk stratification. Trial registration: The study was not registered on a publicly accessible registry because it did not involve any health care intervention on human participants.

Compressed sensing (CS) algorithms are used for linear array synthetic aperture radar (LASAR) three-dimensional (3D) imaging. However, it is difficult to obtain imaging results with both high computational efficiency and promising imaging quality. Because of the high-dimensional matrix-operations, the computational complexity of several CS algorithms is huge such as the iterative adaptive approach (IAA), bayesian compressed sensing (BCS), and sparsity bayesian recovery via iterative minimum (SBRIM) algorithm. Besides, the greedy pursuit algorithms such as the orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) algorithm cannot acquire ideal imaging results on account of the preset sparsity of the imaging scene. To solve the problem, we present a fast sparse recovery algorithm via resolution approximation (FSRARA) in this paper. Firstly, the whole imaging scene is divided into 3D scattering units with large spacing, and SBRIM algorithm is used to obtain its low-resolution imaging results quickly. Secondly, the low-resolution imaging results are conducted image segmentation by the fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering algorithm to extract the possible targets' areas coarsely. Then we re-divide the imaging scene by higher imaging resolution and extract the possible targets' areas according to the coarsely possible targets' areas. FSRARA achieves improved computational efficiency with low-dimensional matrix-operations on the possible targets' areas instead of the high-dimensional one on the whole imaging scene. Meanwhile, FSRARA performs better in suppressing the false targets and sidelobe interference and improves the imaging quality than the SBRIM algorithm. Simulation and experimental results prove that FSRARA improves the computational efficiency by hundreds of times at most than SBRIM algorithm and its computational efficiency is higher than smoothed $L_{0} $ norm (SL0), IAA, and BCS algorithm. Besides, FSRARA improves the imaging quality compared with OMP, IAA, SL0, BCS, and SBRIM algorithms.

Conventional radar cross section (RCS) measurements require far-field or compact-antenna-test-range (CATR) conditions, which have strict restrictions and high implementation costs. By contrast, RCS extrapolation methods in the near zone are more convenient and practical, which become the research emphasis in recent years. This paper presents a novel RCS extrapolation method based on the combination of near-field 3D synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technique and planar projective transforms (PPT) algorithm. Firstly, to extract the target's reflectivity distribution, we apply near-field 3D SAR imaging and obtain 3D near-field RCS (NFRCS) images. Secondly, to meet the requirement of RCS measurements, we derive a novel correction factor used to precisely expand 3D NFRCS images. Finally, we extrapolate the plane-wave responses in the azimuth-vertical dimensions, which presents as planar patterns. The proposed method utilizes the complete 3D image-based information to overcome the inherent constraints of classical RCS extrapolation methods on application scenarios, which has the advantages of broad applicability and high flexibility. The detailed derivation and implementation of this method are described in this paper. The simulation and experiment results verify that the proposed method can provide the equivalent CATR result within ±11° azimuth and elevation angles, and it is applicable to precisely measuring the point, surface, and complex scatterers.

Jing Wang,1,* Xin-xin Tang,2,* Qin Zhou,1 Shuting Yang,2 Ye Shi,1 Bin Yu,1 Bin Zhang,1 Lei-lei Wang2 1Changzhou Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, 213003, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Hospital Affiliated to Yangzhou University, Lianyungang, 222000, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Bin ZhangChangzhou Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, 213003, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail icespringl@163.comLei-lei WangLianyungang Maternal and Child Health Hospital Affiliated to Yangzhou University, Lianyungang, 222000, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail transmed@qq.comPurpose: We retrospectively analyzed the results of prenatal diagnosis in women with high-risk (HR) serological screening results, and discussed the reasonable application of diagnostic testing.Patients and Methods: Diagnostic testing was done in 2239 pregnant women who had HR results from serological screening in two prenatal diagnosis centers. According to the HR results, they were divided into simple HR, HR combined with ultrasound abnormalities, and HR combined with other indication groups. After receiving counselling from clinicians, they were allowed to choose either the traditional karyotype analysis and/or chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA).Results: Those who underwent CMA comprised 49.3%, 97.6%, and 100% of the HR group, HR combined with ultrasound abnormalities, and HR combined with other indication groups, respectively. Among the 100 (4.47%) clinically significant results, 55 (2.46%), 15 (0.67%), and 30 (1.34%) were chromosomal aneuploidies, chromosomal structural abnormalities, and pathogenic copy number variations (CNVs), respectively. The rate of abnormalities was 3.77%, 13.71%, and 19.05% in the simple HR, HR combined with ultrasound abnormalities, and HR combined with other indication groups, respectively. The increasing rate of clinical pathogenic CNVs was 1.34% using CMA in HR pregnant women, 9.52% in the HR combined with other indication group, and 1.24% in the simple HR group. Among the 573 women who chose both diagnostic tests, 45 had abnormal results. Only one case detected using karyotype analysis was missed on CMA. The incidence of chromosomal aneuploidy tended to increase with increase in HR values. However, chromosomal structural abnormalities and pathogenic CNVs did not increase.Conclusion: CMA should be recommended as the first-line diagnostic testing for women with HR screening results, especially combined with other abnormal indications.Keywords: prenatal screening, prenatal diagnosis, karyotype analysis, chromosomal microarray analysis, high risk

Since the seminal work of Zhang in 2016, donor-acceptor cyanoarene-based fluorophores, such as 1,2,3,5-tetrakis(carbazol-9-yl)-4,6-dicyanobenzene (4CzIPN), have been widely applied in photoredox catalysis, and used as excellent metal-free alternatives to noble metal Ir- and Ru-based photocatalysts. However, all the reported photoredox reactions involving this chromophore family are based on harnessing the energy from a single visible light photon, with a limited range of redox potentials from -1.92 V to +1.79 V. Here, we document the unprecedented discovery that this family of fluorophores can undergo consecutive photoinduced electron transfer (ConPET) to achieve very high reduction potentials. One of the newly synthesized catalysts, 2,4,5-tri(9H-carbazol-9-yl)-6-(ethyl(phenyl)amino)isophthalonitrile (3CzEPAIPN), possesses a long-lived (12.95 ns) excited radical anion form, 3CzEPAIPN•−*, which can be used to activate reductively recalcitrant aryl chlorides (Ered ≈ -1.9 to -2.9 V) under mild conditions. The resultant aryl radicals can be engaged in synthetically valuable aromatic C-B, C-P, and C-C bond formation to furnish arylboronates, arylphosphonium salts, arylphosphonates, and spirocyclic cyclohexadienes, respectively.

Compared with Global Atmosphere 6 (GA6) of the UK Met Office Unified Model (UM), the dry bias over the Indian monsoon region in Global Atmosphere 7 (GA7) is significantly reduced. However, the physical processes controlling how this reduced dry bias in India influences rainfall teleconnections in the extratropics remain unclear. Thus, in this study, we use Rossby wave tracing in a horizontally nonuniform background flow to investigate how the improved simulation of monsoon rainfall in GA7 compared with GA6 affects extratropical rainfall teleconnections. We find that wave rays emanating from the upper troposphere in the Indian monsoon region first propagate westward, then divide into the Northern Hemisphere (NH) subtropical westerlies over Asia and the Southern Hemisphere (SH) subtropical westerlies. The wave ray trajectories in GA7 in years of strong Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR) are closer to observations than those in GA6. We also find that the upper tropospheric meridional winds over the South Asian monsoon region and western Tibetan Plateau are much better simulated in GA7 than in GA6 owning to the improvement of ISMR and South Asian High (SAH), which leads to a more realistic simulation of the wave rays in GA7. The better simulated circulation teleconnections in GA7 then modulate the vertical motion and moisture transport, and hence affect extratropical rainfall anomalies in the NH and SH. This paper provides new insights for the assessment of tropical–extratropical teleconnections in models.

Polysulfide anions are endowed with unique redox properties, attracting considerable attentions for their applications in alkali metals-sulfur batteries. However, the employment of these anionic species in redox catalysis for small molecule synthesis remains underdeveloped due to their moderate-poor electrochemical potential in the ground state, whereas some of them are characterized by photoabsorptions in visible spectral regions. Herein, we disclose the use of polysulfide anions as visible light photoredox catalysts for aryl cross-coupling reactions. The reaction design enables single-electron reduction of aryl halides upon the photoexcitation of tetrasulfide dianions (S42-). The resulting aryl radicals are engaged in (hetero)biaryl cross-coupling, borylation, and hydrogenation in a redox catalytic regime involving S4• -/S42- and S3• -/S32- redox couples. Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Accepted version Financial support was provided by Pharma Innovation Programme Singapore (A*STAR, SERC A19B3a0014).

Polyamines play essential roles in plant development and various stress responses. In this study, one of the cotton S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) genes, GhSAMDC1, was constructed in the pGWB17 vector and overexpressed in tobacco. Leaf area and plant height increased 25.9–36.6% and 15.0–27.0%, respectively, compared to the wild type, and flowering time was advanced by 5 days in transgenic tobacco lines. Polyamine and gene expression analyses demonstrated that a decrease in spermidine and an increase in total polyamines and spermine might be regulated by NtSPDS4 and NtSPMS in transgenic plants. Furthermore, exogenous spermidine, spermine and spermidine synthesis inhibitor dicyclohexylamine were used for complementary tests, which resulted in small leaves and dwarf plants, big leaves and early flowering, and big leaves and dwarf plants, respectively. These results indicate that spermidine and spermine are mainly involved in the vegetative growth and early flowering stages, respectively. Expression analysis of flowering-related genes suggested that NtSOC1, NtAP1, NtNFL1 and NtFT4 were upregulated in transgenic plants. In conclusion, ectopic GhSAMDC1 is involved in the conversion of spermidine to spermine, resulting in rapid vegetative growth and early flowering in tobacco, which could be applied to genetically improve plants.

We report on the observation of magnetic Feshbach resonances in a Fermi-Fermi mixture of ultracold atoms with extreme mass imbalance and on their unique p-wave dominated three-body recombination processes. Our system consists of open-shell alkali-metal 6Li and closed-shell 173Yb atoms, both spin polarized and held at various temperatures between 1 and 20 μK. We confirm that Feshbach resonances in this system are solely the result of a weak separation-dependent hyperfine coupling between the electronic spin of 6Li and the nuclear spin of 173Yb. Our analysis also shows that three-body recombination rates are controlled by the identical fermion nature of the mixture, even in the presence of s-wave collisions between the two species and with recombination rate coefficients outside the Wigner threshold regime at our lowest temperature. Specifically, a comparison of experimental and theoretical line shapes of the recombination process indicates that the characteristic asymmetric line shape as a function of applied magnetic field and a maximum recombination rate coefficient that is independent of temperature can only be explained by triatomic collisions with nonzero, p-wave total orbital angular momentum. The resonances can be used to form ultracold doublet ground-state molecules and to simulate quantum superfluidity in mass-imbalanced mixtures.

Polyamines play essential roles in plant development and various stress responses. In this study, one of the cotton S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) genes, GhSAMDC1, was constructed in the pGWB17 vector and overexpressed in tobacco. Leaf area and plant height increased 25.9–36.6% and 15.0–27.0%, respectively, compared to the wild type, and flowering time was advanced by 5 days in transgenic tobacco lines. Polyamine and gene expression analyses demonstrated that a decrease in spermidine and an increase in total polyamines and spermine might be regulated by NtSPDS4 and NtSPMS in transgenic plants. Furthermore, exogenous spermidine, spermine and spermidine synthesis inhibitor dicyclohexylamine were used for complementary tests, which resulted in small leaves and dwarf plants, big leaves and early flowering, and big leaves and dwarf plants, respectively. These results indicate that spermidine and spermine are mainly involved in the vegetative growth and early flowering stages, respectively. Expression analysis of flowering-related genes suggested that NtSOC1, NtAP1, NtNFL1 and NtFT4 were upregulated in transgenic plants. In conclusion, ectopic GhSAMDC1 is involved in the conversion of spermidine to spermine, resulting in rapid vegetative growth and early flowering in tobacco, which could be applied to genetically improve plants.

Additional file 8: Table S6. QTLs detected in the same or overlapping regions for seed dormancy in CSSLs and BILs.

Additional file 4: Figure S2. Correlation coefficients among G3d, AUC, T50 and G7d in CSSLs (a) and BILs (b). G3d, germination rate at 72 h after imbibition; G7d, maximum germination rate at 168 h after imbibition; T50, germination speed, which is the time to reach 50% germination of seeds; and AUC, the area under the curve up to 168 h after imbibition. The upper panel contains the correlation coefficients and the lower panel contains the frequency distribution of the assayed parameters. The diagonal represents the histogram of the traits. Double asterisks represent significance at P

Additional file 3: Table S2. Seed dormancy of the parents Nipponbare and 9311, CSSLs and BILs.

Additional file 10: Fig. S3. ABA sensitivity of the after-ripened seeds of NIL (qSD3.1), NIL (qSD3.2) and 9311. The germination rate on the y-axis indicates the maximum germination rate at 168 h after imbibition. Error bar represents the mean ± SD (n = 3).

Additional file 2: Table S1. Primers used in this study to genotype the NY38- and NY61-derived F2 populations.

Additional file 7: Table S5. QTLs detected for four seed dormancy parameters in CSSLs and BILs derived from the common parents of Nipponbare and 9311.