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The length of time for which seed lots maintain their viability and vigour in storage has become a trait of interest for rice and other crop and model species. However, different research groups have taken different approaches to measuring this trait, including storing seeds under ‘natural ageing’, accelerated ageing, and controlled deterioration test conditions. There has also been a tendency to use only a single germination test result to assess the relative longevity of different genotypes. Here, we explain why we have taken a different approach in a genome-wide association study of seed longevity in Oryza sativa (Indica Group), and offer suggestions as to how, in the future, this trait should be assessed to make it possible to develop varieties with improved seed longevity, depending on the target storage environment.

The pH level of a wound environment is a crucial biomarker for monitoring wound healing, particularly in chronic wounds, where alkalinity (pH > 7) is linked to bacterial colonization and infection. This study developed and optimized a halochromic sensor film composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and bromothymol blue (BTB) to enable rapid and reliable pH-responsive color transitions. Feature selection using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the ReliefF algorithm identified Hue, Saturation, and a as key features influencing pH responsivity. Optimization of BTB (0.01–0.05%) and PEG (6–10%) concentrations was conducted using bird-inspired metaheuristic algorithms, including the Parrot Optimizer (PO), Pelican Optimization Algorithm (POA), and Secretary Bird Optimization Algorithm (SBOA). While final fitness values showed negligible variation (188.595647 for GP-PO, 188.595634 for GP-POA, and 188.595634 for GP-SBOA), GP-PO demonstrated superior convergence and stability, efficiently identifying the optimal formulation (0.02% BTB, 6% PEG). The optimized film achieved a complete color transition within 3–5 min, a 23.15% reduction compared to the non-optimized formulation. Statistical analysis revealed that BTB concentration significantly affected response time (p = 0.01), while PEG concentration had no significant effect (p > 0.05). These findings highlight the potential of halochromic films for real-time, non-invasive pH monitoring in chronic wounds.

An F₄:₅ population of 490 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from the cross Apo/²*Swarna was used to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) with large effects on grain yield under drought stress using bulk-segregant analysis (BSA). Swarna is an important rainfed lowland rice variety grown on millions of hectares in Asia, but is highly susceptible to drought and aerobic soil conditions. Apo is an aerobic-adapted variety with moderate tolerance to drought. Two rice microsatellite (RM) markers, RM324, and RM416, located on chromosomes 2 and 3, respectively, were shown via BSA to be strongly associated with yield under lowland drought stress. The effects of these QTL were tested in a total of eight hydrological environments over a period of 3 years. The QTL linked to RM416 (DTY ₃.₁ ) had a large effect on grain yield under severe lowland drought stress, explaining about 31% of genetic variance for the trait (P < 0.0001). It also explained considerable variance for yield under mild stress in lowland conditions and aerobic environments. To our knowledge this is the first reported QTL that has a large effect on yield in both lowland drought and aerobic environments. The QTL linked to RM324 (DTY ₂.₁ ) had a highly significant effect on grain yield in lowland drought stress (R ² = 13-16%) and in two aerobic trials. The effect of these QTL on grain yield was verified to be not mainly due to phenology differences. Effects of DTY ₃.₁ on yield under stress have been observed in several other rice mapping populations studied at IRRI. Results of this study indicate that BSA is an effective method of identifying QTL alleles with large effects on rice yield under severe drought stress. The Apo alleles for these large-effect QTL for grain yield under drought and aerobic conditions may be immediately exploited in marker-assisted-breeding to improve the drought tolerance of Swarna.

Background The identification and introgression of major-effect QTLs for grain yield under drought are some of the best and well-proven approaches for improving the drought tolerance of rice varieties. In the present study, we characterized Malaysian rice germplasm for yield and yield-related traits and identified significant trait marker associations by structured association mapping. Results The drought screening was successful in screening germplasm with a yield reduction of up to 60% and heritability for grain yield under drought was up to 78%. There was a wider phenotypic and molecular diversity within the panel, indicating the suitability of the population for quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping. Structure analyses clearly grouped the accessions into three subgroups with admixtures. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis revealed that LD decreased with an increase in distance between marker pairs and the LD decay varied from 5–20 cM. The Mixed Linear model-based structured association mapping identified 80 marker trait associations (MTA) for grain yield (GY), plant height (PH) and days to flowering (DTF). Seven MTA were identified for GY under drought stress, four of these MTA were consistently identified in at least two of the three analyses. Most of these MTA identified were on chromosomes 2, 5, 10, 11 and 12, and their phenotypic variance (PV) varied from 5% to 19%. The in silico analysis of drought QTL regions revealed the association of several drought-responsive genes conferring drought tolerance. The major-effect QTLs are useful in marker-assisted QTL pyramiding to improve drought tolerance. Conclusion The results have clearly shown that structured association mapping is one of the feasible options to identify major-effect QTLs for drought tolerance-related traits in rice.

Recent studies indicate a potential link between oral health and cognitive function; however, long-term associations remain unclear. This study aimed to identify oral health factors that predict changes in cognitive function among older adults over time. The study included 583 independent older adults (201 male, 382 female) with a mean age of 72.7 years. Cognitive function was assessed using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at baseline and follow-up over two years, with relative change in MMSE (rMMSE) calculated. Baseline oral health variables included number of remaining teeth, masticatory performance, occlusal force, oral diadochokinesis and tongue pressure. Physical performance and confounding factors were also considered. The relationship between rMMSE and the variables was analyzed using Pearson’s correlation, Mann-Whitney U test, and multiple linear regression analysis. Cognitive function declined in 196 subjects, with rMMSE significantly correlated with oral diadochokinesis. Regression analysis revealed significant associations between cognitive changes and oral diadochokinesis ( p  = 0.020) and knee extension strength as a physical performance ( p  = 0.047). Our findings suggest that cognitive decline may be indicated by declines in both physical and oral motor performance. Incorporating oral diadochokinesis testing into health screenings could aid early detection of cognitive decline, improving outcomes and reducing healthcare burdens.

Fine-mapping studies on four QTLs, qDTY 2.1 , qDTY 2.2 , qDTY 9.1 and qDTY 12.1 , for grain yield (GY) under drought were conducted using four different backcross-derived populations screened in 16 experiments from 2006 to 2010. Composite and Bayesian interval mapping analyses resolved the originally identified qDTY 2.1 region of 42.3 cM into a segment of 1.6 cM, the qDTY 2.2 region of 31.0 cM into a segment of 6.7 cM, the qDTY 9.1 region of 32.1 cM into two segments of 9.4 and 2.4 cM and the qDTY 12.1 region of 10.6 cM into two segments of 3.1 and 0.4 cM. Two of the four QTLs ( qDTY 9.1 and qDTY 12.1 ) having effects under varying degrees of stress severity showed the presence of more than one region within the original QTL. The study found the presence of a donor allele at RM262 within qDTY 2.1 and RM24334 within qDTY 9.1 showing a negative effect on GY under drought, indicating the necessity of precise fine mapping of QTL regions before using them in marker-assisted selection (MAS). However, the presence of sub-QTLs together in close vicinity to each other provides a unique opportunity to breeders to introgress such regions together as a unit into high-yielding drought-susceptible varieties through MAS.

Rice seeds germinating in flooded soils encounter hypoxia or even anoxia leading to poor seed germination and crop establishment. Introgression of AG1 and AG2 QTLs associated with tolerance of flooding during germination, together with seed pre-treatment via hydro-priming or presoaking can enhance germination and seedling growth in anaerobic soils. This study assessed the performance of elite lines incorporating AG1, AG2 and their combination when directly seeded in flooded soils using dry seeds. The QTLs were in the background of two popular varieties PSB Rc82 and Ciherang-Sub1, evaluated along with the donors Kho Hlan On ( AG1 ) and Ma-Zhan Red ( AG2 ) and recipient parents PSB Rc82 and Ciherang-Sub1. In one set of experiments conducted in the greenhouse, seedling emergence, growth, and carbohydrate mobilization from seeds were assessed. Metabolites associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging including malondialdehyde (MDA) as a measure of lipid peroxidation, ascorbate, total phenolic concentration (TPC), and activities of ROS scavenging enzymes were quantified in seeds germinating under control (saturated) and flooded (10 cm) soils. In another set of experiments conducted in a natural field with 3–5 cm flooding depths, control and pretreated seeds of Ciherang-Sub1 introgression lines and checks were used. Flooding reduced seedling emergence of all genotypes, though emergence of AG1  +  AG2 introgression lines was greater than the other AG lines. Soluble sugars increased, while starch concentration decreased gradually under flooding especially in the tolerant checks and in AG1  +  AG2 introgression lines. Less lipid peroxidation and higher α-amylase activity, higher ascorbate (RAsA) and TPC were observed in the tolerant checks and in the AG1  +  AG2 introgression lines. Lipid peroxidation correlated negatively with ascorbate, TPC, and with ROS scavengers. Seed hydro-priming or pre-soaking increased emergence by 7–10% over that of dry seeds. Introgression of AG2 and AG1  +  AG2 QTLs with seed pretreatment showed 101–153% higher emergence over dry seeds of intolerant genotypes in the field. Lines carrying AG1  +  AG2 QTLs showed higher α-amylase activity, leading to rapid starch degradation and increase in soluble sugars, ascorbate, and TPC, together leading to higher germination and seedling growth in flooded soils. Seed hydro-priming or pre-soaking for 24 h also improved traits associated with flooding tolerance. Combining tolerance with seed management could therefore, improve crop establishment in flooded soils and encourage large-scale adoption of direct seeded rice system.

Numerous studies have addressed effects of rising atmospheric CO2 concentration on rice biomass production and yield but effects on crop water use are less well understood. Irrigated rice evapotranspiration (ET) is composed of floodwater evaporation and canopy transpiration. Crop coefficient Kc (ET over potential ET, or ETo) is crop specific according to FAO, but may decrease as CO2 concentration rises. A sunlit growth chamber experiment was conducted in the Philippines, exposing 1.44-m2 canopies of IR72 rice to four constant CO2 levels (195, 390, 780 and 1560 ppmv). Crop geometry and management emulated field conditions. In two wet (WS) and two dry (DS) seasons, final aboveground dry weight (agdw) was measured. At 390 ppmv [CO2] (current ambient level), agdw averaged 1744 g m-2, similar to field although solar radiation was only 61% of ambient. Reduction to 195 ppmv [CO2] reduced agdw to 56±5% (SE), increase to 780 ppmv increased agdw to 128±8%, and 1560 ppmv increased agdw to 142±5%. In 2013WS, crop ET was measured by weighing the water extracted daily from the chambers by the air conditioners controlling air humidity. Chamber ETo was calculated according to FAO and empirically corrected via observed pan evaporation in chamber vs. field. For 390 ppmv [CO2], Kc was about 1 during crop establishment but increased to about 3 at flowering. 195 ppmv CO2 reduced Kc, 780 ppmv increased it, but at 1560 ppmv it declined. Whole-season crop water use was 564 mm (195 ppmv), 719 mm (390 ppmv), 928 mm (780 ppmv) and 803 mm (1560 ppmv). With increasing [CO2], crop water use efficiency (WUE) gradually increased from 1.59 g kg-1 (195 ppmv) to 2.88 g kg-1 (1560 ppmv). Transpiration efficiency (TE) measured on flag leaves responded more strongly to [CO2] than WUE. Responses of some morphological traits are also reported. In conclusion, increased CO2 promotes biomass more than water use of irrigated rice, causing increased WUE, but it does not help saving water. Comparability with field conditions is discussed. The results will be used to train crop models.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of walking training “Interval Walking Training (IWT)” on oral health status. Participants were divided into two groups: an exercise intervention group and a non-intervention group (control). The intervention group consisted of 59 subjects (20 males, 39 females) aged 50 years or older who participated in the IWT program in Matsumoto from 2019 to April 2022. The control group consisted of 33 subjects (14 males and 19 females) aged 50 years or older who have visited Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital and agreed to participate in the study. The intervention group underwent walking training (interval walking training) for at least 5–6 months. The walking training consisted of five sets of fast walking above 70% peak aerobic capacity for walking (VO2peak) for 3 min, followed by 3 min of slow walking at ~40% VO2 peak per day for more than four days/week. The oral health status was evaluated for the number of teeth, occlusal force, salivary occult blood, masticatory performance, and tongue pressure. A total of 57 participants were analyzed in the intervention group (18 males and 39 females, age: 66.7 ± 0.8 (mean ± S.E.) years) and 33 participants in the control group (14 males and 19 females, age: 74.5 ± 1.1 (mean ± S.E.) years). There were no significant differences in gender, salivary occult blood, tongue pressure, masticatory performance, or occlusal force between the two groups at the start of the intervention (p = 0.36, p = 0.48, p = 0.42, p = 0.58, and p = 0.08, respectively by unpaired t-test or χ2 test). On the other hand, there were significant differences in age and BMI, with a trend toward lower age and higher BMI in the intervention group (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively, by unpaired t-test). In terms of rate of change, the intervention group showed a significant increase in occlusal force (F = 4.5, p = 0.04, ANCOVA) and a significant decrease in BMI (F = 7.3, p = 0.009, ANCOVA). No significant differences were observed in the other measured items. It was found that walking training in both middle-aged and older people does not only affect the physical aspect of weight loss but may help maintain and improve the occlusal force.

Quantitative in vivo monitoring of cell biodistribution offers assessment of treatment efficacy in real-time and can provide guidance for further optimization of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modified cell therapy. We evaluated the utility of a non-invasive, serial 89 Zr-oxine PET imaging to assess optimal dosing for huLym-1-A-BB3z-CAR T-cell directed to Lym-1-positive Raji lymphoma xenograft in NOD Scid-IL2Rgamma null (NSG) mice. In vitro experiments showed no detrimental effects in cell health and function following 89 Zr-oxine labeling. In vivo experiments employed simultaneous PET/MRI of Raji-bearing NSG mice on day 0 (3 h), 1, 2, and 5 after intravenous administration of low (1.87 ± 0.04 × 10 6 cells), middle (7.14 ± 0.45 × 10 6 cells), or high (16.83 ± 0.41 × 10 6 cells) cell dose. Biodistribution (%ID/g) in regions of interests defined over T1-weighted MRI, such as blood, bone, brain, liver, lungs, spleen, and tumor, were analyzed from PET images. Escalating doses of CAR T-cells resulted in dose-dependent %ID/g biodistributions in all regions. Middle and High dose groups showed significantly higher tumor %ID/g compared to Low dose group on day 2. Tumor-to-blood ratios showed the enhanced extravascular tumor uptake by day 2 in the Low dose group, while the Middle dose showed significant tumor accumulation starting on day 1 up to day 5. From these data obtained over time, it is apparent that intravenously administered CAR T-cells become trapped in the lung for 3–5 h and then migrate to the liver and spleen for up to 2–3 days. This surprising biodistribution data may be responsible for the inactivation of these cells before targeting solid tumors. Ex vivo biodistributions confirmed in vivo PET-derived biodistributions. According to these studies, we conclude that in vivo serial PET imaging with 89 Zr-oxine labeled CAR T-cells provides real-time monitoring of biodistributions crucial for interpreting efficacy and guiding treatment in patient care.