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The tourism industry has been seriously suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis ever since its outbreak. Given this pandemic situation, the major aim of this study is to develop a conceptual framework that clearly explains the US international tourists’ post-pandemic travel behaviors by expanding the theory of planned behavior (TPB). By utilizing a quantitative process, the TPB was successfully broadened by incorporating the travelers’ perceived knowledge of COVID-19, and it has been deepened by integrating the psychological risk. Our theoretical framework sufficiently accounted for the US tourists’ post-pandemic travel intentions for safer international destinations. In addition, the perceived knowledge of COVID-19 contributed to boosting the prediction power for the intentions. The associations among the subjective norm, the attitude, and the intentions are under the significant influence of the tourists’ psychological risks regarding international traveling. The comparative criticality of the subjective norm is found. Overall, the findings of this study considerably enhanced our understanding of US overseas tourists’ post-pandemic travel decision-making processes and behaviors.

Nitrogen deficiency (−N) in plants triggers leaf senescence which is regulated by the transcription factor ORE1. Little is known about post-translational regulation of ORE1 in this process. Here, we show that UBP12/UBP13 (ubiquitin-specific protease 12/13) antagonize the action of NLA (nitrogen limitation adaptation) E3 ligase to maintain ORE1 homeostasis. In vitro pull-down and in vivo co-immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated specific binding between UBP12/UBP13 and ORE1. We further analyzed in various genotypes total Chl content and expression levels of senescence-related genes under −N conditions. We found that UBP12/UBP13 can deubiquitinate polyubiquitinated ORE1 in vitro and increase the stability of ORE1 in vivo in MG132/cycloheximide-chase experiments. Plants overexpressing UBP12/UBP13 display accelerated leaf senescence which is reversed by the ore1 mutation. By contrast, the senescence phenotype of plants overexpressing ORE1 is exacerbated by UBP12/UBP13 overexpression. The expression of senescence-related genes tracks the senescence phenotype. ORE1 protein levels can be elevated by UBP12/UBP13 overexpression but decreased in ubp12-2w/13-3. In conclusion, UBP12/UBP13 deubiquitinate ORE1 to stabilize this transcription factor and promote its activity as a positive regulator for leaf senescence under −N conditions. Our study shows that UBP12/UBP13 counteracts the effect of NLA E3 ligase to accelerate leaf senescence under nitrogen starvation.

Changes in light quality caused by the presence of neighbor proximity regulate many growth and development processes of plants. PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 7 (PIF7), whose subcellular localization, DNA-binding properties, and protein abundance are regulated in a photoreversible manner, plays a central role in linking shade light perception and growth responses. How PIF7 activity is regulated during shade avoidance responses has been well studied, and many factors involved in this process have been identified. However, the detailed molecular mechanism by which shade light regulates the PIF7 protein level is still largely unknown. Here, we show that the PIF7 protein level regulation is important for shade-induced growth. Two ubiquitin-specific proteases, UBP12 and UBP13, were identified as positive regulators in shade avoidance responses by increasing the PIF7 protein level. The ubp12-2w/13–3 double mutant displayed significantly impaired sensitivity to shade-induced cell elongation and reproduction acceleration. Our genetic and biochemical analysis showed that UBP12 and UBP13 act downstream of phyB and directly interact with PIF7 to maintain PIF7 stability and abundance through deubiquitination.

Summary The AP2/ERF family is a plant‐specific transcription factor family whose members have been associated with various developmental processes and stress tolerance. Here, we functionally characterized the drought‐inducible OsERF48, a group Ib member of the rice ERF family with four conserved motifs, CMI‐1, ‐2, ‐3 and ‐4. A transactivation assay in yeast revealed that the C‐terminal CMI‐1 motif was essential for OsERF48 transcriptional activity. When OsERF48 was overexpressed in an either a root‐specific (ROXOsERF48) or whole‐body (OXOsERF48) manner, transgenic plants showed a longer and denser root phenotype compared to the nontransgenic (NT) controls. When plants were grown on a 40% polyethylene glycol‐infused medium under in vitro drought conditions, ROXOsERF48 plants showed a more vigorous root growth than OXOsERF48 and NT plants. In addition, the ROXOsERF48 plants exhibited higher grain yield than OXOsERF48 and NT plants under field‐drought conditions. We constructed a putative OsERF48 regulatory network by cross‐referencing ROXOsERF48 root‐specific RNA‐seq data with a co‐expression network database, from which we inferred the involvement of 20 drought‐related genes in OsERF48‐mediated responses. These included genes annotated as being involved in stress signalling, carbohydrate metabolism, cell‐wall proteins and drought responses. They included, OsCML16, a key gene in calcium signalling during abiotic stress, which was shown to be a direct target of OsERF48 by chromatin immunoprecipitation‐qPCR analysis and a transient protoplast expression assay. Our results demonstrated that OsERF48 regulates OsCML16, a calmodulin‐like protein gene that enhances root growth and drought tolerance.

Background Rice is the primary source of calories for a large portion of the global population. Most rice hulls are of the trichome-type and produce dust, which can cause respiratory allergies and environmental concerns during handling. By contrast, glabrous-type hulls reduce storage volume and minimise dust, making processing cleaner and more eco-friendly. Despite the advantages of glabrous rice as a breeding resource, no molecular markers are available for the effective selection of this trait. Results In this study, we developed a novel cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) marker specifically designed to select glabrous hulls in rice. Using the sequence information of the Kompetitive Allele-Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (KASP) marker KJ05_001, closely linked to GLR1 , we identified an Mse I recognition site for targeted digestion. This sequence was used to create the GLR1 _CAPS marker, showing tight linkage to GLR1 . The effectiveness of this marker was tested in 290 diverse rice germplasm lines, confirming its broad applicability. Conclusions Overall, the GLR1 _CAPS marker is an efficient and reliable tool for breeding programs focused on the development of glabrous rice varieties. By facilitating accurate selection of this trait, the developed marker offers substantial improvements in rice storage, handling, and processing, contributing to more sustainable and allergy-friendly agricultural practices. This novel molecular marker represents an important advancement in rice breeding and opens new avenues for the development of rice varieties with reduced environmental and health impacts. Graphical Abstract

Fine‐tuning heading date is critical for optimizing yield, grain quality, and local adaptation in rice ( Oryza sativa L.). QTL‐seq (where QTL is quantitative trait locus), which integrates bulked segregant analysis with whole‐genome resequencing, provides a rapid and cost‐effective approach for identifying QTLs underlying complex traits. Shinpyeong and Haedeul are elite Korean rice cultivars that carry identical alleles at four major heading date genes ( Hd1 , OsPRR37 , Ghd7 , and DTH8 ), yet differ by approximately 7 days in heading under natural long‐day conditions. To elucidate the genetic basis of this difference, we applied allele‐informed QTL‐seq to an F 2 population derived from a cross between Shinpyeong and Haedeul. A single prominent QTL peak with the highest ΔSNP‐index (where SNP is single nucleotide polymorphism) was consistently detected across both field and greenhouse environments and co‐localized with Hd18 , identifying it as the most likely causal gene. The underlying polymorphism was a previously reported missense A/G variant. Genotyping of the Hd18 A/G SNP using a dCAPS (derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence) marker revealed that F 2 plants homozygous for the A allele headed 4.1 days earlier in the field and 6.2 days earlier in the greenhouse than those homozygous for the G allele. Analysis of 290 Korean rice cultivars further demonstrated that the Hd18 A allele was associated with approximately 2 days earlier heading under a nonfunctional hd1 background. Evaluation of two recombinant inbred line populations showed that Hd18 had minimal effects on major agronomic traits, while exhibiting background‐dependent effects on specific traits. These results establish Hd18 as a minor effect modifier of heading date with utility for fine‐scale phenological adjustment in rice breeding. Heading date is a key factor influencing rice yield, quality, and adaptation. Two Korean rice cultivars, Shinpyeong and Haedeul, differ consistently in heading date despite sharing identical alleles at four major heading date genes. Using a QTL‐seq (where QTL is quantitative trait locus) approach in an F 2 population derived from these cultivars, we identified Hd18 as the gene responsible for this difference. Plants carrying the Hd18 A allele headed several days earlier than those carrying the G allele under both field and greenhouse conditions. Analysis of 290 Korean cultivars confirmed this association, particularly under a nonfunctional hd1 background. Hd18 showed minimal effects on major agronomic traits, supporting its use for precise heading date adjustment in rice breeding.

Sloshing in liquid storage tanks is a critical phenomenon that affects the stability, performance, and safety of various engineering systems, including fuel tanks, offshore structures, and industrial storage units. The presence of internal structures, such as vertical baffles, significantly influences the natural sloshing frequencies and fluid motion. However, existing theoretical models often rely on simplified assumptions that restrict their capacity to capture the complexities of fluid–structure interactions in baffled tanks. This study integrates the coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian method with the impulse excitation technique to predict natural sloshing frequencies in a rectangular tank with vertical baffles. By analyzing the system’s response to an impulse excitation, we extracted the dominant sloshing frequencies while considering the impact of baffles on fluid dynamics. This computational approach provides a more realistic representation of sloshing phenomena and enables a parametric analysis of how various tank dimensions, fluid properties, and baffle configurations influence sloshing behavior. The findings of this study contribute to the improved design and optimization of liquid storage tanks, ensuring enhanced stability and performance in practical engineering applications. The integration of impulse excitation with the coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian method marks a significant advancement in sloshing analysis, offering a robust framework for understanding and mitigating the effects of sloshing in baffled tanks.

The stability of cultivation and production in terms of crop yield has been threatened by climate change due to global warming. Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) is a threat to crops, especially staple foods, including rice, because of reductions in yield and quality. To address the problem of precocious germination before harvest, we performed quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis for PHS using F 8 RILs populations derived from japonica weedy rice in Korea. QTL analysis revealed that two stable QTLs, qPH7 and qPH2 , associated with PHS resistance were identified on chromosomes 7 and 2, respectively, explaining approximately 38% of the phenotypic variation. The QTL effect in the tested lines significantly decreased the degree of PHS, based on the number of QTLs included. Through fine mapping for main QTL qPH7 , the region for the PHS was found to be anchored within 23.575–23.785 Mbp on chromosome 7 using 13 cleaved amplified sequence (CAPS) markers. Among 15 open reading frames (ORFs) within the detected region, one ORF, Os07g0584366, exhibited upregulated expression in the resistant donor, which was approximately nine times higher than that of susceptible japonica cultivars under PHS-inducing conditions. Japonica lines with QTLs related to PHS resistance were developed to improve the characteristics of PHS and design practical PCR-based DNA markers for marker-assisted backcrosses of many other PHS-susceptible japonica cultivars.

BackgroundPlant glycine-rich proteins are categorized into several classes based on their protein structures. The glycine-rich RNA binding proteins (GRPs) are members of class IV subfamily possessing N-terminus RNA-recognition motifs (RRMs) and proposed to be involved in post-transcriptional regulation of its target transcripts. GRPs are involved in developmental process and cellular stress responses, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these regulations are still elusive.ResultsHere, we report the functional characterization of rice GLYCINE-RICH PROTEIN 3 (OsGRP3) and its physiological roles in drought stress response. Both drought stress and ABA induce the expression of OsGRP3. Transgenic plants overexpressing OsGRP3 (OsGRP3OE) exhibited tolerance while knock-down plants (OsGRP3KD) were susceptible to drought compared to the non-transgenic control. In vivo, subcellular localization analysis revealed that OsGRP3-GFP was transported from cytoplasm/nucleus into cytoplasmic foci following exposure to ABA and mannitol treatments. Comparative transcriptomic analysis between OsGRP3OE and OsGRP3KD plants suggests that OsGRP3 is involved in the regulation of the ROS related genes. RNA-immunoprecipitation analysis revealed the associations of OsGRP3 with PATHOGENESIS RELATED GENE 5 (PR5), METALLOTHIONEIN 1d (MT1d), 4,5-DOPA-DIOXYGENASE (DOPA), and LIPOXYGENASE (LOX) transcripts. The half-life analysis showed that PR5 transcripts decayed slower in OsGRP3OE but faster in OsGRP3KD, while MT1d and LOX transcripts decayed faster in OsGRP3OE but slower in OsGRP3KD plants. H2O2 accumulation was reduced in OsGRP3OE and increased in OsGRP3KD plants compared to non-transgenic plants (NT) under drought stress.ConclusionOsGRP3 plays a positive regulator in rice drought tolerance and modulates the transcript level and mRNA stability of stress-responsive genes, including ROS-related genes. Moreover, OsGRP3 contributes to the reduction of ROS accumulation during drought stress. Our results suggested that OsGRP3 alleviates ROS accumulation by regulating ROS-related genes’ mRNA stability under drought stress, which confers drought tolerance.

The global rise in type 2 diabetes has intensified the need for dietary strategies that promote glycemic control, including the development of functional staple foods with a low glycemic index (GI). In this study, we assessed 16 Korean rice accessions for grain morphology, biochemical composition, starch digestibility, and glycemic response to identify promising candidates for low GI rice breeding. Substantial variation was observed in amylose (4.3-41.8%) and protein content (6.09-9.28%), both key factors influencing starch hydrolysis and postprandial glucose levels. GI assays showed that seven accessions had GI values below 60, including Dodamssal, Goami2, and Goami4, which were characterized by high resistant starch (RS) content. Interestingly, Seullomi1 and Seullomi2 maintained low-to-intermediate GI values, associated with elevated proportions of slowly digestible starch (SDS), moderate-to-high amylose content resistance to enzymatic digestion. Starch digestibility profiling confirmed that these lines retained higher SDS content even after cooking, suggesting greater resistance to enzymatic hydrolysis. murine study ( = 5 per group) further validated these findings, with Seullomi1, Seullomi2, and Dodamssal showing significantly reduced blood glucose spikes at 30 minutes compared with Sindongjin, a commercial Korean rice variety. Complementary textural analysis revealed that the Seullomi lines preserved moderate hardness and stickiness, traits favorable for consumer acceptance. Collectively, these results establish Seullomi1 and Seullomi2 as promising prototypes for the development of functional rice varieties that provide glycemic control with acceptable textural quality, thereby facilitating the breeding of rice to mitigate the risk of type 2 diabetes.