Search

Current breeding has resulted in the naming of Morning star, a new cultivar with distinctive characters from the northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.). This follows our previously published cultivar, Senmao 7 (Xu et al. 2021). This cultivar is intended for the early-season fresh market, and is characterized by consistent early ripening, high yield, small and dry picking scar, medium firmness, good flavor, and a medium-blue color. Cultivated highbush blueberries were first domesticated in the early 20th century (Bidani et al. 2017). Currently, the breeding of highbush blueberries has entered a phase of rapid development, with increasing popularity among consumers due to not only their delicious taste but also their exceptional health properties, including phenolics, antioxidants, vitamins, and high levels of minerals. These properties contribute to human health by suppressing certain types of cancers, preventing infections, and enhancing brain function to delay senescence. Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) have become a major fruit crop worldwide (Strik 2007). In China, the breeding and cultivation of commercial blueberries started in 2000, much later than in Western countries. Although blueberry research is relatively new, its development and commercial planting have been rapidly growing alongside economic development and changes in food consumption. By the end of 2020, the blueberry cultivation area in China reached 664 km2 with a total production of 347,200 t, of which ∼234,700 t were used for fresh consumption (Li et al. 2021); however, this production still falls short of meeting the rapidly increasing market demand. About nine countries worldwide have been exporting fresh blueberry fruits to China, and the total import volume has surged from 499 t in 2012 to 22,045 t in 2020, marking a 44-fold increase in just 8 years. Despite the continuous expansion of blueberry planting areas in China, production has declined, and poor performance has emerged as a significant challenge hindering the development of the Chinese blueberry industry (Xu et al. 2021). Therefore, there is a pressing need to breed new cultivars that are specifically adapted to the local climate and align with the current developmental stage of the blueberry industry in China.

Abstract The ecology of soil fungi is poorly understood, and recent comprehensive reports on Trichoderma are unavailable for any region, including the Zoige alpine wetland ecological region in China. One hundred soil samples were collected from different soil types and soil layers in Zoige alpine wetland ecological regions. Using the traditional suspension plating method, 80 Trichoderma strains were chosen to analyze species diversity. After a preliminary classification of morphological characteristics and the genes glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpd), 57 representative strains were selected and eventually identified as seven species via phylogenetic analyses of multilocus sequences based on the genes transcription elongation factor 1 alpha (tef1), encoding RNA polymerase II subunit B (rpb2) and ATP citrate lyase (acl1). Among them, T. harzianum was the dominant species isolated from five soil layers and four soil types, and had the highest isolation frequency (23%) in this zone, while T. polysporum and T. pyramidale were rare species, with isolation frequencies of less than 1%. Our detailed morphological observation and molecular phylogenetic analyses support the recognition of Trichoderma zoigense was described for the first time as a new species, while T. atrobrunneum as a new record for China was found. Our results will be used as a reference for a greater understanding of soil microbial resources, ecological rehabilitation and reconstructions in the Zoige alpine wetland.

Peripheral nerve damage, such as that found after surgery or trauma, is a substantial clinical challenge. Much research continues in attempts to improve outcomes after peripheral nerve damage and to promote nerve repair after injury. In recent years, low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has been studied as a potential method of stimulating peripheral nerve regeneration. In this review, the physiology of peripheral nerve regeneration is reviewed, and the experiments employing LIPUS to improve peripheral nerve regeneration are discussed. Application of LIPUS following nerve surgery may promote nerve regeneration and improve functional outcomes through a variety of proposed mechanisms. These include an increase of neurotrophic factors, Schwann cell (SC) activation, cellular signaling activations, and induction of mitosis. We searched PubMed for articles related to these topics in both in vitro and in vivo animal research models. We found numerous studies, suggesting that LIPUS following nerve surgery promotes nerve regeneration and improves functional outcomes. Based on these findings, LIPUS could be a novel and valuable treatment for nerve injury-induced erectile dysfunction.

Background: The effect of maternal weights on the risk of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) during pregnancy remains unclear. The study aimed to investigate the association between maternal weight indicators and IDA during pregnancy. Methods: We conducted a cohort study to examine the association between maternal weight indicators, including prepregnancy body mass index and the rate of gestational weight gain (GWG), and the risk of IDA among Chinese pregnant women. Data about new-onset IDA at different trimesters from a national cross-sectional survey were collected; information regarding baseline variables and rate of GWG from women participating in the survey were retrospectively collected. Tested IDA and reported IDA were documented. Multilevel logistic regression to examine the association between maternal weight indicators and the risk of IDA after adjusting for potential confounders was conducted. Results: This study enrolled 11,782 pregnant women from 24 hospitals from September 19, 2016, to November 20, 2016. Among those, 1515 (12.9%) IDA events were diagnosed through test (test IDA); 3915 (33.3%) were identified through test and patient reporting (composite IDA). After adjusting for confounders and cluster effect of hospitals, underweight pregnant women, compared with normal women, were associated with higher risk of test IDA (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.35, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17–1.57 and composite IDA (aOR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.21–1.51); on the contrary, overweight and obese women had lower risk of test IDA (aOR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.54–0.86 overweight; aOR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.13–0.69 obese) and composite IDA (aOR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.67–0.90 overweight; aOR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.21–0.55 obese). The higher rate of GWG was associated with higher risk of IDA (test aOR: 1.86 95% CI: 1.26–2.76; composite aOR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.16–2.03). Conclusions: Pregnant women who are underweight before pregnancy and who have faster GWG are more likely to develop IDA. Enforced weight control during pregnancy and use of iron supplements, particularly among underweight women, may be warranted.

C29H21BrN4, orthorhombic, Pca21 (no. 29), a = 15.6577(5) Å, b = 9.6445(3) Å, c = 31.1869(10) Å, V = 4709.6(2) Å3, Z = 8, Rgt(F) = 0.0435, wRref(F2) = 0.0779, T = 293(2) K.

When narrative medicine (NM) was introduced into China, traditional Chinese medicine scholars found that the core concepts advocated by NM are manifested in Chinese yi'an. But why NM echoes with ancient Chinese yi'an? How can we better integrate NM into Chinese medical practices? To answer those questions, this article first investigates how NM establishes itself as a remedy to biomedicine by taking traditional healing models including TCM as its ideal Other. Then, the narrative traditions of both case histories and yi'an are examined respectively. This article argues that NM is searching for a lost tradition of narrative case histories, but yi'an functions as a living tradition of TCM. The Parallel Chart in NM, designed as a complement to the dehumanized hospital chart, is still based on a dichotomy of science and art and a conflictual doctor-patient model. But yi'an exemplifies the holistic and humane healthcare that NM hopes to achieve. A comparison of both genres also inspired us to rethink the genre of yi'an in NM. Thus, it is concluded that yi'an should be viewed as an epistemic genre integrating individualization and generalization, a bridge linking medicine and literature. And narrative yi'an can well serve as a tool for NM in China. It is also proposed that a thick description of yi'an be encouraged to further promote a pluralistic NM in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Load frequency stability is an important power quality index in power system, any sudden load disturbance will cause the system load frequency deviation, and as the power system becomes more complex, the difficulty of control is also increasing, it is necessary to find a more appropriate control method. Considering that the load frequency control system model has the characteristics of multi-variable and strong coupling, combines the superior anti-interference and anti-coupling ability of the active disturbance rejection control, a novel scheme for power system load frequency control was presented based on the principle of active disturbance rejection control and effective open-loop transfer function. The simulation results show that the proposed method is simple tuning and strong decoupling ability, and provides a successful control of load frequency.