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Background Chilling injury of mung bean ( Vigna radiata (L.)) during the blooming and podding stages is a major agricultural threat in Northeast China. Uniconazole (UNZ) can alleviate water deficit stress in soybean and waterlogging stress in mung bean. However, there has been no report on the effect of UNZ application on the growth and transcriptomic profile of mung bean under chilling stress. Results UNZ application before chilling stress at the R1 stage alleviated the decline in mung bean yield. UNZ delayed the decrease in leaf chlorophyll content under chilling stress at the R1 stage and accelerated the increase in leaf chlorophyll content during the recovery period. Eighteen separate RNA-Seq libraries were generated from RNA samples collected from leaves exposed to six different treatment schemes. The numbers of DEGs specific for UNZ treatment between D1 + S vs. D1 and D4 + S vs. D4 were 708 and 810, respectively. GO annotations showed that photosynthesis genes were obviously enriched among the genes affected by chilling stress and UNZ application. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that 4 pathways (cutin, suberin and wax biosynthesis; photosynthesis; porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism; and ribosome) were downregulated, while plant–pathogen interaction was upregulated, by chilling stress. UNZ application effectively prevented the further downregulation of the gene expression of members of these 4 KEGG pathways under chilling stress. Conclusions UNZ application effectively delayed the decrease in photosynthetic pigment content under chilling stress and accelerated the increase in photosynthetic pigment content during the recovery period, thus effectively limiting the decline in mung bean yield. UNZ application effectively prevented the further downregulation of the gene expression of members of 4 KEGG pathways under chilling stress and increased mung bean tolerance to chilling stress.

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in response to abiotic stress as important small molecules in regulating metabolism. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of foliar spraying ABA to regulate growth quality at rice seedling stage under salt stress. Results demonstrated that salt stress strongly reduced all the growth parameters of two rice seedlings (‘Chaoyouqianhao’ and ‘Huanghuazhan’), caused prominent decrease in the levels of photosynthetic pigments (mainly in Huanghuazhan), photosynthesis and fluorescence parameters. Salinity treatment increased the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in roots, whereas significant decreased H 2 O 2 was found in leaves of Huanghuazhan. Additionally, salinity triggered high Na + content particularly in leaves and enhanced catalase (CAT) activities, ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and peroxidase (POD) activities of the two rice seedlings. Nevertheless, salinity-induced increased root ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) levels while decreased in leaves, which depended on treatment time. Conversely, ABA application partially or completely mitigated salinity toxicity on the seedlings. ABA could reverse most of the changed physiological parameters triggered by salt stress. Specially, ABA treatment improved antioxidant enzyme levels and significantly reduced the Na + content of two varieties as well as increased the K + , Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ content in leaves and roots. ABA treatment increased the hormone contents of 1-aminocclopropane carboxylic acid (ACC), trans-zeatin (TZ), N6-isopentyladenosine (IPA), Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and ABA in leaves of two rice varieties under salt stress. It is suggested that ABA was beneficial to protect membrane lipid peroxidation, the modulation of antioxidant defense systems and endogenous hormonal balance with imposition to salt stress.

This article explores how network centrality and structural holes of firms’ supply chain network shape its innovation performance and how supply chain stability moderates these relationships. Drawing on 2,328 relationships among China-listed manufacturing firms, we constructed a comprehensive ego-network of supply chains and empirically tested these relationships. The findings suggest a nonlinear (U-shaped) effect of supply chain network centrality and structural holes on innovation performance, indicating that either a very low or high level of network centrality and structural hole is beneficial to firms’ innovation. Additionally, we discovered that the effect of network centrality and structural hole on firms’ innovation performance are weakened and strengthened, respectively, by the stability of their supply chain network. This study provides a plausible explanation for the dual impact of supply chain network embeddedness (i.e., network centrality and structural holes) and network stability on innovation performance, highlighting a need to strategically optimize firms’ supply chain network embeddedness while managing supply chain network’s stability to enhance innovation performance.

HighlightsOxygen-respirable sponge was constructed by carbon dots-assisted synthesis strategy.The hydrophilicity and aerophilicity of Co@C–O–Cs active sites boost oxygen diffusion and the bifunctional oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction activities.Co@C–O–Cs-based Zn-air battery (ZAB) displays excellent specific capacity and stability, and the all-solid-state Co@C–O–Cs-based ZAB exhibits excellent flexibility.Efficient bifunctional catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are vital for rechargeable Zn-air batteries (ZABs). Herein, an oxygen-respirable sponge-like Co@C–O–Cs catalyst with oxygen-rich active sites was designed and constructed for both ORR and OER by a facile carbon dot-assisted strategy. The aerophilic triphase interface of Co@C–O–Cs cathode efficiently boosts oxygen diffusion and transfer. The theoretical calculations and experimental studies revealed that the Co–C–COC active sites can redistribute the local charge density and lower the reaction energy barrier. The Co@C–O–Cs catalyst displays superior bifunctional catalytic activities with a half-wave potential of 0.82 V for ORR and an ultralow overpotential of 294 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for OER. Moreover, it can drive the liquid ZABs with high peak power density (106.4 mW cm−2), specific capacity (720.7 mAh g−1), outstanding long-term cycle stability (over 750 cycles at 10 mA cm−2), and exhibits excellent feasibility in flexible all-solid-state ZABs. These findings provide new insights into the rational design of efficient bifunctional oxygen catalysts in rechargeable metal-air batteries.

The challenge of salinity stress significantly impacts global rice production, especially in coastal and arid regions where the salinization of agricultural soils is on the rise. This review explores the complex physiological, biochemical, and genetic mechanisms contributing to salinity tolerance in rice ( Oryza sativa L.) while examining agronomic and multidisciplinary strategies to bolster resilience. Essential adaptations encompass the regulation of ionic balance, the management of antioxidants, and the adjustments to osmotic pressure, all driven by genes such as OsHKT1;5 and transcription factors like OsbZIP73. The evolution of breeding strategies, encompassing traditional methods and cutting-edge innovations, has produced remarkable salt-tolerant varieties such as FL478 and BRRI dhan47. The advancements in this field are enhanced by agronomic innovations, including integrated soil management, crop rotation, and chemical treatments like spermidine, which bolster stress tolerance through antioxidant activity and transcriptional regulation mechanisms. Case studies from South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and, Australia demonstrate the transformative potential of utilizing salt-tolerant rice varieties; however, challenges persist, such as the polygenic nature of salinity tolerance, environmental variability, and socioeconomic barriers. The review highlights the importance of collaborative efforts across various disciplines, merging genomic technologies, sophisticated phenotyping, and inclusive breeding practices to foster climate-resilient and sustainable rice cultivation. This work seeks to navigate the complexities of salinity stress and its implications for global food security, employing inventive and cohesive strategies to confront the challenges posed by climate change.

Evidence on the association between cognitive activities and mortality among older adults with cognitive impairment is limited. Therefore, the study aimed to assess the association and examine whether baseline cognitive function mediates the association. A total of 10477 older participants with cognitive impairment (median age: 95.0 [IQR: 88.0-100.0], males: 27.9%, Mini-Mental State Examination score ≤24 points) from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey conducted between 1998 and 2014 were included, with follow-up until 2018. Exposures were three prevalent cognitive activities among older adults in China: reading books/newspapers, playing cards/mah-jong, and watching TV or listening to radio, and the outcome was all-cause mortality within a 10-year follow-up period. We evaluated the association between these activities and mortality using Cox regression models and also conducted a mediation analysis to examine the role of baseline cognitive function in this association. During a follow-up period of totaling 33632.1 person-years, there were 8763 recorded deaths (83.6%). For each cognitive activity, the risk of mortality decreased with an increased frequency of engagement in these activities. Moreover, the risk of mortality significantly decreased with a greater number of cognitive activities. With zero activities as reference, adjusted hazard ratios were 0.83 (95% CI: 0.79-0.87) for one activity, 0.76 (95% CI: 0.69-0.83) for two activities, and 0.67 (95% CI: 0.53-0.86) for three activities, respectively. Stratified and sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings. Additionally, baseline cognitive function partially mediated the association between cognitive activities and mortality; compared to zero activities, the mediated proportions were 15.2% (95% CI: 10.9%-22.4%) for one activity, 13.4% (95% CI: 8.9%-21.3%) for two activities, and 9.3% (95% CI: 4.2%-23.4%) for three activities, respectively. Among older adults with cognitive impairment in China, the risk of all-cause mortality significantly decreased as both the frequency and number of cognitive activities increased. Baseline cognitive function only mediated a small proportion of the benefits of cognitive activities in longevity.

Background Atherosclerosis is the pathological basis of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is an important risk factor for atherosclerosis. Ox-LDL leads to endothelial cell (EC) damage and dysfunction through various processes and promotes the occurrence and deterioration of atherosclerosis. High mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) is a protein associated with cellular damage. In the present study, the effect of HMGB1 on ox-LDL-induced EC damage was determined and the underlying mechanism explored. Materials and methods Human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) were exposed to ox-LDL to induce endothelial damage and changes in HMGB1 expression level were detected using western blotting analysis and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. To observe the effect of HMGB1 on ox-LDL-induced damage, the HMGB1 expression was downregulated with siRNA, and cell viability, cytotoxicity, and apoptosis rate were assessed. HUVECs were pretreated with LY294002, an inhibitor of the PI3K/Akt pathway, to determine whether the effect of HMGB1 on damage is via the PI3K-Akt pathway. Results The results showed that ox-LDL can upregulate HMGB1 expression in HUVECs and downregulation of HMGB1 expression can prevent ox-LDL-induced damage in HUVECs. Furthermore, the effect of HMGB1 on ox-LDL-induced damage could be promoted by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Conclusion The results indicate HMGB1 may be a promising research target to alleviate ox-LDL-induced EC damage.

Presently, there is growing concern worldwide regarding the adulteration of meat products. However, no reports on determining meat authenticity have been reported in China. To verify labelling compliance and evaluate the existence of fraudulent practices, 250 sausage samples were purchased from local markets in Sichuan Province and analysed for the presence of chicken, pork, beef, duck and genetically modified soybean DNA using real-time and end-point PCR methods, providing a Chinese case study on the problem of world food safety. In total, 74.4% (186) of the samples were properly labelled, while the other 25.6% (64) were potentially adulterated samples, which involved three illicit practices: product removal, addition and substitution. The most common mislabelling was the illegal addition of, or contamination with, duck. Therefore, meat authenticity monitoring should be routinely conducted. Additionally, the strict implementation of the nation’s food safety laws, along with regular surveillance, should be compulsory to alleviate and deter meat adulteration.

Background: the feasibility of the capacitance method for detecting the water content in standing tree trunks was investigated using capacitance-based equipment that was designed for measuring the water content of standing tree trunks. Methods: In laboratory experiments, the best insertion depth of the probe for standing wood was determined by measurement experiments conducted at various depths. The bark was to be peeled when specimens and standing wood were being measured. The actual water content of the test object was obtained by specimens being weighed and the standing wood being weighed after the wood core was extracted. Results: A forecast of the moisture content of standing wood within a range of 0 to 180% was achieved by the measuring instrument. The feasibility of the device for basswood and fir trees is preliminarily studied. When compared to the drying method, the average error of the test results was found to be less than 8%, with basswood at 7.75%, and fir at 7.35%. Conclusions: It was concluded that the measuring instrument has a wide measuring range and is suitable for measuring wood with low moisture content, as well as standing timber with high moisture content. The measuring instrument, being small in size, easy to carry, and capable of switching modes, is considered to have a good application prospect in the field of forest precision monitoring and quality improvement.