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Germplasm resource innovation is a crucial factor for cultivar development, particularly within the context of hybrid rice breeding based on the three-line system. Quan 9311A, a cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) line, has been successfully cultivated using rice restoration materials and extensively employed as a female parent in hybrid breeding program in China. This line was developed by crossing the CMS line Zhong 9A with a two-line restorer line 93-11, with the intention of eliminating the restoring ability of 93-11 while retaining the sterility gene WA352c from Zhong 9A. Quan 9311A effectively amalgamates the most favorable agronomic traits from both parental lines. In this study, the relationship between phenotypic characteristics and the known functional genes of Quan 9311A were analyzed using the rice genome navigation technology based on whole-genome sequencing. The findings revealed that Quan 9311A harbors multiple superior alleles from both 93-11 and Zhong 9A, providing exceptional agronomic traits that are unavailable in earlier CMS lines. Despite the removal of the fertility restorer gene Rf3 from 93-11, numerous chromosomal segments from 93-11 persist in the Quan 9311A genome. Furthermore, the hybrid rice Quanyousimiao (QYSM) and the restorer line Wushansimiao (WSSM) were used as examples to illustrate the important role of Quan 9311A as the female parent in heterosis. It was found that QYSM carries a great number of superior alleles, which accounts for its high grain yield and wide adaptability. These insights not only advanced the utilization of hybrid rice pairing groups but also provided guidance for future breeding endeavors. The study introduced innovative concepts to further integrate genomics with traditional breeding techniques. Ultimately, Quan 9311A signified a significant milestone in rice breeding technology, opening up novel avenues for hybrid rice development.

To effectively predict the water richness of weathered bedrock aquifers, the West First Plate area of the Hongliulin coal mine was taken as the study area, and 42 sets of pumping test borehole data from the weathered bedrock in the study area were used as training and testing samples. A total of five indicators related to the water richness of weathered bedrock, namely, the aquifer thickness, sand–base ratio, core take rate, degree of weathering, and lithological structure index, were selected. A prediction model for the water richness of weathered bedrock aquifers (WOA-RF) was subsequently proposed by combining the whale optimisation algorithm (WOA) and random forest (RF). This model can predict the water-richness level of weathered bedrock in an area with no pumping test data. The geological information from 98 sets of exploration boreholes in the study area was comprehensively used to achieve water-richness zoning of the weathered bedrock. The results indicated that the WOA is effective in optimising parameters and improving model performance. The accuracies of the optimal WOA-RF model in the training set and the test set were 93.1% and 92.3%, respectively. Compared with those of the single RF model, the accuracy, recall, and F1 value of the optimal WOA-RF model were increased by 11.3%, 18.2%, and 11%, respectively, and the differences before and after optimisation were obvious. A comparison and analysis of the predictive performance of each model revealed that the overall performance of the WOA-RF model was better than that of the other models. The weathered bedrock in the study area as a whole is weakly to moderately rich in water, and the predicted results are in good agreement with reality, which can provide a reference for future safe production in the West First Plate area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there have been few reports on the application of zeolites in the field of flame retardants, although their excellent thermal stability indicates great potential as flame retardants. However, a key challenge that needs to be solved urgently is the compatibility between molecular sieves as inorganic fillers and polymer matrices, which directly affects their performance and stability in practical applications. In this work, ZSM-5 zeolite was used as the carrier, Ce ions were introduced through ion exchange, and the growth of Ce-MOF was restricted on its surface, and a Ce-MOF@ZSM-5 hybrid material was designed to improve the flame retardant and ultraviolet resistance properties of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU). The absorbance value of TPU composites in the whole region is significantly higher than that of pure TPU, and its absorbance reaches 1.33. Compared with pure TPU, the peak heat release rate and peak smoke production rate of TPU/Ce-MOF@ZSM-5 composites were reduced by 26.0% and 34.8%, respectively. In addition, the chemical resistance of TPU composites has been significantly improved. This work provides the possibility of preparing three-proofing TPU materials with UV resistance, chemical resistance and fire resistance, and is expected to expand the application of TPU materials in other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice lesion mimic mutants are important materials for studying the mechanisms of cell death. In-depth research on these mutants can provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying rice growth and development, offering a theoretical basis for crop improvement. In this study, rice variety Wuyunjing 21 (WYJ21) was mutagenized with ethyl methanesulfonate to obtain a lesion mimic mutant, lmm28. Unlike wild-type (WT) plants, the lmm28 mutant exhibits brown lesions on the leaves starting from the early tillering stage. The size of the lesions increases as the plant grows. Additionally, the lmm28 mutant shows significantly reduced plant height, tiller number, number of effective panicles, seed setting rate, and 1000-grain weight compared to the WT. Leaf staining of the mutant revealed an accumulation of reactive oxygen species and cell death in the lesion leaves. Transmission electron microscopy images showed that, in the lmm28 mutant, the nuclear boundaries in leaf cells became indistinct and damage to the chloroplast membrane structures was observed, with thylakoid disorganization occurring in some chloroplasts. Genetic analysis and map-based cloning localized the candidate gene of the mutant to a 167.79 kb region on chromosome 5. After analyzing the annotated genes within this region, the candidate gene was preliminarily identified as OsBON3. Sequencing analysis revealed that, in lmm28, a base change from GT to GC occurred at the 5′ splice junction of the 15th intron of OsBON3. Further analysis, using cDNA amplification of exons 14–16 followed by sequencing, showed that the mutation at the splice recognition site caused the incorrect splicing of OsBON3 pre-mRNA, leading to an increased number of transcripts in lmm28. The transcript containing an inserted intron is present at much higher levels than the normal transcript, which may lead to a reduction in the protein levels containing the functional vWA domain. Therefore, the vWA domain of OsBON3 is likely crucial for maintaining ROS homeostasis in rice and plays a key role in regulating its growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Portal vein pressure (PVP) is crucial in the diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and prognosis of portal hypertension (PHT). At present, the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) and the portal vein pressure gradient (PPG) are the main approaches for portal pressure measurement. However, HVPG and PPG are limited in application due to invasive operations and high requirements for medical conditions. A more convenient way to measure portal pressure is demanded. Objectives: To detect whether the endoscopic variceal pressure (EVP) could predict the PVP. Design: This is a single-center retrospective study that detects whether the EVP could predict the PVP. Methods: Thirty-six patients were considered eligible for pre-emptive transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) and were willing to accept the endoscopy-TIPS hybrid surgery (continuous operation within 24 h) from April 2023 to October 2023 retrospectively. EVP was measured in the procedure of the modified sandwich method. HVPG, PPG, and PVP were measured following TIPS operation. EVP was compared with HVPG, PPG, and PVP in groups divided by different sarin classifications and whether portal vein thrombosis (PVT) or not. Results: EVP was successfully measured and recorded in all. Totally, HVPG was lower than PPG, PPG was lower than PVP, and EVP manifested between PPG and PVP. In the PVT group, HVPG was lower than PPG, PPG was lower than EVP, and EVP manifested between PPG and PVP. In the non-PVT group, HVPG was lower than PPG, PPG was lower than PVP, and EVP manifested between PPG and PVP. In the gastroesophageal varices group, HVPG was lower than PPG, and PPG was lower than EVP. Conclusion: As a novel way for prediction, EVP measurement might be useful and convenient in PHT. Moreover, it might be closer to the PVP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]