A Lightweight and Affordable Wearable Haptic Controller for Robot-Assisted Microsurgery.

In robot-assisted microsurgery (RAMS), surgeons often face the challenge of operating with minimal feedback, particularly lacking in haptic feedback. However, most traditional desktop haptic devices have restricted operational areas and limited dexterity. This report describes a novel, lightweight, and low-budget wearable haptic controller for teleoperated microsurgical robotic systems. We designed a wearable haptic interface entirely made using off-the-shelf material-PolyJet Photopolymer, fabricated using liquid and solid hybrid 3D co-printing technology. This interface was designed to resemble human soft tissues and can be wrapped around the fingertips, offering direct contact feedback to the operator. We also demonstrated that the device can be easily integrated with our motion tracking system for remote microsurgery. Two motion tracking methods, marker-based and marker-less, were compared in trajectory-tracking experiments at different depths to find the most effective motion tracking method for our RAMS system. The results indicate that within the 4 to 8 cm tracking range, the marker-based method achieved exceptional detection rates. Furthermore, the performance of three fusion algorithms was compared to establish the unscented Kalman filter as the most accurate and reliable. The effectiveness of the wearable haptic controller was evaluated through user studies focusing on the usefulness of haptic feedback. The results revealed that haptic feedback significantly enhances depth perception for operators during teleoperated RAMS.

A combination of resistance genes confers high and durable resistance against stripe rust in wheat cultivar Lantian 26.

Lantian 26, a leading elite winter wheat cultivar in Gansu Province since its release in 2010, exhibits high resistance or immunization to stripe rust in adult-plant stage under a high disease pressure in Longnan (southeastern Gansu). Identifying the resistance genes in Lantian 26 could provide a basis for enhanced durability and high levels of resistance in wheat cultivars. Here, a segregating population was developed from a cross between a highly susceptible wheat cv. Mingxian 169 and the highly stripe rust-resistant cv. Lantian 26. The F2 and F2:3 progenies of the cross were inoculated with multiple prevalent virulent races of stripe rust for adult plant-stage resistance evaluation in two different environments. Exon sequence alignment analysis revealed that a stripe rust resistance gene on the 718.4-721.2 Mb region of chromosome 7BL, tentatively named as YrLT26, and a co-segregation STS marker GY17 was developed and validated using the F2:3 population and 103 wheat cultivars. The other two resistance genes, Yr9 and Yr30, were also identified in Lantian 26 using molecular markers. Therefore, the key to high and durable resistance to stripe rust at adult stage is the combination of Yr9, Yr30 and YrLT26 genes in Lantian 26. This could be a considerable strategy for improving the wheat cultivars with effective and durable resistance in the high-pressure region for stripe rust.

A control study on pain characteristics and influencing factors in patients with depressive disorders-based on a 5-year follow-up report from the epidemiological survey of mental disorders in Shandong Province, China.

BACKGROUND: This study extends from the 2015 Shandong Province Epidemiological Survey of Mental Disorders in adults aged 18 and above. Over five years, it investigates pain characteristics and influencing factors in individuals with depressive disorders in Shandong Province. METHODS: The study encompasses 871 individuals who met DSM-IV criteria for depressive disorders in 2015. Using 1:1:1 matching by gender, age, and residence, 825 non-afflicted individuals were selected as high-risk controls, and 825 screening-negative individuals became low-risk controls. A follow-up study in 2020 involved 1848 participants. Survey tools included a general information questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), SCID-I/P, Global Pain Scale (GPS), Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ), PSQI, MoCA, and clinical data questionnaire. RESULTS: GPS scores in the current depressive group were higher than in non-current depressive group (Z = 14.36, P < 0.01). GPS scores in study group exceeded those in high-risk and low-risk control groups (H = 93.71, P < 0.01). GPS scores in non-remission group were higher than in the remission group (Z = 8.90, P < 0.01). Regression analysis revealed positive correlations between GPS scores and physical illnesses, current depression, incumbency, GHQ-12 total score, and PSQI total score. Negative correlations were observed with QLQ total score and MoCA total score. LIMITATIONS: The study could not assess pain during the 2015 survey, limiting controlled pain analysis before and after five years. CONCLUSION: Depression sufferers may experience prolonged heightened pain, potentially relieved when depression subsides. Individual pain is influenced by depression, physical illnesses, sleep quality, quality of life, cognitive function, gender, residence, and occupation.

A Small Intestinal Stromal Tumor Detection Method Based on an Attention Balance Feature Pyramid.

Small intestinal stromal tumor (SIST) is a common gastrointestinal tumor. Currently, SIST diagnosis relies on clinical radiologists reviewing CT images from medical imaging sensors. However, this method is inefficient and greatly affected by subjective factors. The automatic detection method for stromal tumors based on computer vision technology can better solve these problems. However, in CT images, SIST have different shapes and sizes, blurred edge texture, and little difference from surrounding normal tissues, which to a large extent challenges the use of computer vision technology for the automatic detection of stromal tumors. Furthermore, there are the following issues in the research on the detection and recognition of SIST. After analyzing mainstream target detection models on SIST data, it was discovered that there is an imbalance in the features at different levels during the feature fusion stage of the network model. Therefore, this paper proposes an algorithm, based on the attention balance feature pyramid (ABFP), for detecting SIST with unbalanced feature fusion in the target detection model. By combining weighted multi-level feature maps from the backbone network, the algorithm creates a balanced semantic feature map. Spatial attention and channel attention modules are then introduced to enhance this map. In the feature fusion stage, the algorithm scales the enhanced balanced semantic feature map to the size of each level feature map and enhances the original feature information with the original feature map, effectively addressing the imbalance between deep and shallow features. Consequently, the SIST detection model's detection performance is significantly improved, and the method is highly versatile. Experimental results show that the ABFP method can enhance traditional target detection methods, and is compatible with various models and feature fusion strategies.

Ultrasound-guided pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block for early analgesia in elderly patients with hip fractures: a single-center prospective randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of ultrasound-guided PENG (pericapsular nerve group) block and drug therapy with intravenous flurbiprofen for early analgesia in elderly patients with hip fractures after hospitalization. METHODS: This is a single-center, observer-blinded, prospective, randomized, controlled trial. A total of 41 elderly patients (aged 60 or older) with hip fractures were enrolled in the current study. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups: Group P (ultrasound-guided PENG block, 20 mL of 0.375% ropivacaine) and Group F (intravenous flurbiprofen 50 mg). The primary outcome measure was the dynamic (passive straight leg raising 15°) NRS (numerical rating scale 0 to 10) pain scores at different time points. The secondary outcomes were the static NRS scores at different time points, the number of rescue analgesia sessions, patient satisfaction, and the incidence of complications. RESULTS: Patients in the two groups had comparable baseline characteristics. The group P had lower dynamic and static NRS scores at 15 min, 30 min, 6 h, and 12 h after intervention (P<0.05) than the group F. The highest NRS pain scores in the group P were still lower than the NRS scores in the group F at 30 min-12 h (Group F: 5.57±1.54 vs. Group P: 3.00±1.12, P<0.001), and there was no significant difference between the two groups at 12-24 h (Group F: 6.35±1.79 vs. Group P: 5.90±1.83, P>0.05). The group P had higher satisfaction scores (Group P: 9 (9,9) vs. Group F: 8 (7,8), P<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in the number of rescue analgesics at 0-12 h or 12-24 h or the incidence of complications between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with intravenous flurbiprofen, ultrasound-guided PENG block provides better early analgesic effects in elderly patients with hip fractures, and a PENG block is safe for elderly patients with hip fractures after hospitalization. Trial registration This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Testing Center (ID: ChiCTR2200062400).

Genome-wide linkage mapping of root system architecture-related traits in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Identifying loci for root system architecture (RSA) traits and developing available markers are crucial for wheat breeding. In this study, RSA-related traits, including total root length (TRL), total root area (TRA), and number of root tips (NRT), were evaluated in the Doumai/Shi4185 recombinant inbred line (RIL) population under hydroponics. In addition, both the RILs and parents were genotyped using the wheat 90K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. In total, two quantitative trait loci (QTLs) each for TRL (QTRL.caas-4A.1 and QTRL.caas-4A.2), TRA (QTRA.caas-4A and QTRA.caas-4D), and NRT (QNRT.caas-5B and QNRT.caas-5D) were identified and each explaining 5.94%-9.47%, 6.85%-7.10%, and 5.91%-10.16% phenotypic variances, respectively. Among these, QTRL.caas-4A.1 and QTRA.caas-4A overlapped with previous reports, while QTRL.caas-4A.2, QTRA.caas-4D, QNRT.caas-5B, and QNRT.caas-5D were novel. The favorable alleles of QTRL.caas-4A.1, QTRA.caas-4A, and QTRA.caas-5B were contributed by Doumai, whereas the favorable alleles of QTRL.caas-4A.2, QTRA.caas-4D, and QTRA.caas-5D originated from Shi 4185. Additionally, two competitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers, Kasp_4A_RL (QTRA.caas-4A) and Kasp_5D_RT (QNRT.caas-5D), were developed and validated in 165 wheat accessions. This study provides new loci and available KASP markers, accelerating wheat breeding for higher yields.

Genome-Wide Association Mapping of Processing Quality Traits in Common Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Processing quality is an important economic wheat trait. The marker-assisted selection (MAS) method plays a vital role in accelerating genetic improvement of processing quality. In the present study, processing quality in a panel of 165 cultivars grown in four environments was evaluated by mixograph. An association mapping analysis using 90 K and 660 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays identified 24 loci in chromosomes 1A, 1B (4), 1D, 2A, 2B (2), 3A, 3B, 3D (2), 4A (3), 4B, 5D (2), 6A, 7B (2) and 7D (2), explaining 10.2-42.5% of the phenotypic variances. Totally, 15 loci were stably detected in two or more environments. Nine loci coincided with known genes or QTL, whereas the other fifteen were novel loci. Seven candidate genes encoded 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase, lipoxygenase, pyridoxal phosphate-dependent decarboxylase, sucrose synthase 3 and a plant lipid transfer protein/Par allergen. SNPs significantly associated with processing quality and accessions with more favorable alleles can be used for marker-assisted selection.

Fine mapping and characterization of a major QTL for plant height on chromosome 5A in wheat.

KEY MESSAGE: We precisely mapped QPH.caas-5AL for plant height in wheat, predicted candidate genes and confirmed genetic effects in a panel of wheat cultivars. Plant height is an important agronomic trait, and appropriately reduced height can improve yield potential and stability in wheat, usually combined with sufficient water and fertilizer. We previously detected a stable major-effect quantitative trait locus QPH.caas-5AL for plant height on chromosome 5A in a recombinant inbred line population of the cross 'Doumai × Shi 4185' using the wheat 90 K SNP assay. Here , QPH.caas-5AL was confirmed using new phenotypic data in additional environment and new-developed markers. We identified nine heterozygous recombinant plants for fine mapping of QPH.caas-5AL and developed 14 breeder-friendly kompetitive allele-specific PCR markers in the region of QPH.caas-5AL based on the genome re-sequencing data of parents. Phenotyping and genotyping analyses of secondary populations derived from the self-pollinated heterozygous recombinant plants delimited QPH.caas-5AL into an approximate 3.0 Mb physical region (521.0-524.0 Mb) according to the Chinese Spring reference genome. This region contains 45 annotated genes, and six of them were predicted as the candidates of QPH.caas-5AL based on genome and transcriptome sequencing analyses. We further validated that QPH.caas-5AL has significant effects on plant height but not yield component traits in a diverse panel of wheat cultivars; its dwarfing allele is frequently used in modern wheat cultivars. These findings lay a solid foundation for the map-based cloning of QPH.caas-5AL and also provide a breeding-applicable tool for its marker-assisted selection. Keymessage We precisely mapped QPH.caas-5AL for plant height in wheat, predicted candidate genes and confirmed genetic effects in a panel of wheat cultivars.

Validation of genes affecting rice mesocotyl length through candidate association analysis and identification of the superior haplotypes.

Mesocotyl is an essential organ of rice for pushing buds out of soil and plays a crucial role in seeding emergence and development in direct-seeding. Thus, identify the loci associated with mesocotyl length (ML) could accelerate breeding progresses for direct-seeding cultivation. Mesocotyl elongation was mainly regulated by plant hormones. Although several regions and candidate genes governing ML have been reported, the effects of them in diverse breeding populations were still indistinct. In this study, 281 genes related to plant hormones at the genomic regions associated with ML were selected and evaluated by single-locus mixed linear model (SL-MLM) and multi-locus random-SNP-effect mixed linear model (mr-MLM) in two breeding panels (Trop and Indx) originated from the 3K re-sequence project. Furthermore, superior haplotypes with longer mesocotyl were also identified for marker assisted selection (MAS) breeding. Totally, LOC_Os02g17680 (explained 7.1-8.9% phenotypic variations), LOC_Os04g56950 (8.0%), LOC_Os07g24190 (9.3%) and LOC_Os12g12720 (5.6-8.0%) were identified significantly associated with ML in Trop panel, whereas LOC_Os02g17680 (6.5-7.4%), LOC_Os04g56950 (5.5%), LOC_Os06g24850 (4.8%) and LOC_Os07g40240 (4.8-7.1%) were detected in Indx panel. Among these, LOC_Os02g17680 and LOC_Os04g56950 were identified in both panels. Haplotype analysis for the six significant genes indicated that haplotype distribution of the same gene varies at Trop and Indx panels. Totally, 8 (LOC_Os02g17680-Hap1 and Hap2, LOC_Os04g56950-Hap1, Hap2 and Hap8, LOC_Os07g24190-Hap3, LOC_Os12g12720-Hap3 and Hap6) and six superior haplotypes (LOC_Os02g17680-Hap2, Hap5 and Hap7, LOC_Os04g56950-Hap4, LOC_Os06g24850-Hap2 and LOC_Os07g40240-Hap3) with higher ML were identified in Trop and Indx panels, respectively. In addition, significant additive effects for ML with more superior haplotypes were identified in both panels. Overall, the 6 significantly associated genes and their superior haplotypes could be used to enhancing ML through MAS breeding and further promote direct-seedling cultivation.

Natural variation of OsML1, a mitochondrial transcription termination factor, contributes to mesocotyl length variation in rice.

Mesocotyl length (ML) is a crucial factor in determining the establishment and yield of rice planted through dry direct seeding, a practice that is increasingly popular in rice production worldwide. ML is determined by the endogenous and external environments, and inherits as a complex trait. To date, only a few genes have been cloned, and the mechanisms underlying mesocotyl elongation remain largely unknown. Here, through a genome-wide association study using sequenced germplasm, we reveal that natural allelic variations in a mitochondrial transcription termination factor, OsML1, predominantly determined the natural variation of ML in rice. Natural variants in the coding regions of OsML1 resulted in five major haplotypes with a clear differentiation between subspecies and subpopulations in cultivated rice. The much-reduced genetic diversity of cultivated rice compared to the common wild rice suggested that OsML1 underwent selection during domestication. Transgenic experiments and molecular analysis demonstrated that OsML1 contributes to ML by influencing cell elongation primarily determined by H2 O2 homeostasis. Overexpression of OsML1 promoted mesocotyl elongation and thus improved the emergence rate under deep direct seeding. Taken together, our results suggested that OsML1 is a key positive regulator of ML, and is useful in developing varieties for deep direct seeding by conventional and transgenic approaches.

Intraoperative Variables Enhance the Predictive Performance of Myocardial Injury in Patients with High Cardiovascular Risk After Thoracic Surgery When Added to Baseline Prediction Model.

Purpose: Myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgery is closely related to major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event and is difficult to identify. This study aims to investigate how to predict the myocardial injury of thoracic surgery and whether intraoperative variables contribute to the prediction of myocardial injury. Methods: The prospective study included adult patients with high cardiovascular risk who underwent elective thoracic surgery from May 2022 to October 2022. Multivariate logistic regression was used to establish a model with baseline variables and a model with baseline and intraoperative variables. We compare the predictive performance of two models for postoperative myocardial injury. Results: In general, 31.5% (94 of 298) occurred myocardial injury. Age ≥65 years old, obesity, smoking, preoperative hsTnT, and one-lung ventilation time were independent predictors of myocardial injury. Compared with baseline model, the intraoperative variables improved model fit, modestly improved the reclassification (continuous net reclassification improvement 0.409, 95% CI, 0.169 to 0.648, P<0.001, improved integrated discrimination 0.036, 95% CI, 0.011 to 0.062, P<0.01) of myocardial injury cases, and achieved higher net benefit in decision curve analysis. Conclusion: The risk stratification and anesthesia management of high-risk patients are essential. The addition of intraoperative variables to the baseline predictive model improved the performance of the overall model of myocardial injury and helped anesthesiologists screen out the patients at the greatest risk for myocardial injury and adjust anesthesia strategies.

Effects of Combined Use of Salbutamol/Budesonide in Thoracic Surgery on Postoperative Myocardial Injury (MINS) - A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate whether the administration of salbutamol/budesonide reduced the incidence of myocardial injury in thoracic surgery. Methods: The randomized controlled trial included 298 patients over 45 and at high-risk for cardiovascular complications after lobectomy. Patients in the experimental group were treated with salbutamol/budesonide after anesthesia induction with fiberoptic bronchoscope. The primary outcome was the incidence rates of myocardial injury, assessed before and three days after the operation. The secondary outcome was respiratory function at each time point during the operation, including lung compliance and arterial partial pressure of oxygen, postoperative pulmonary and cardiovascular complications, hospital stay, pain score, and analgesic dosage. Results: In the control group, the incidence of myocardial injury was 57/150 (38%), while that in the experimental group was 33/148 (22%); compared between the two groups, the difference in the incidence of myocardial injury was statistically significant. The dynamic compliance and static compliance at half an hour after the start of surgery in the experimental group were significantly improved. Before leaving the operating room, the difference in arterial oxygen partial pressure between the two groups was statistically significant. Conclusion: Intraoperative administration of salbutamol/budesonide reduced the incidence of myocardial injury after thoracic surgery, improved lung function, and reduced the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications.

Genomic prediction of rice mesocotyl length indicative of directing seeding suitability using a half-sib hybrid population.

Direct seeding has been widely adopted as an economical and labor-saving technique in rice production, though problems such as low seedling emergence rate, emergence irregularity and poor lodging resistance are existing. These problems are currently partially overcome by increasing seeding rate, however it is not acceptable for hybrid rice due to the high seed cost. Improving direct seeding by breeding is seen as the ultimate solution to these problems. For hybrid breeding, identifying superior hybrids among a massive number of hybrids from crossings between male and female parental populations by phenotypic evaluation is tedious and costly. Contrastingly, genomic selection/prediction (GS/GP) could efficiently detect the superior hybrids capitalizing on genomic data, which holds a great potential in plant hybrids breeding. In this study, we utilized 402 rice inbred varieties and 401 hybrids to investigate the effectiveness of GS on rice mesocotyl length, a representative indicative trait of direct seeding suitability. Several GP methods and training set designs were studied to seek the optimal scenario of hybrid prediction. It was shown that using half-sib hybrids as training set with the phenotypes of all parental lines being fitted as a covariate could optimally predict mesocotyl length. Partitioning the molecular markers into trait-associated and -unassociated groups based on genome-wide association study using all parental lines and hybrids could further improve the prediction accuracy. This study indicates that GS could be an effective and efficient method for hybrid breeding for rice direct seeding.

Effect of preoperative risk on the association between intraoperative hypotension and postoperative acute kidney injury in cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI), a common and severe complication after cardiac surgery, has been demonstrated to be associated with intraoperative hypotension (IOH). The reproducibility of this finding and whether preoperative risk modifies the association remain unclear. We hypothesised that the relationship between IOH and AKI after cardiac surgery varies by preoperative risk. METHODS: We conducted a single-centre, retrospective cohort study to analyse the association between IOH and postoperative AKI by stratifying patients using preoperative risk factors. IOH was defined as a mean arterial pressure (MAP) of less than 65 mmHg and characterised by the cumulative duration and area under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: Ten variables could be identified as risk factors: age, smoking status, NYHA III/Ⅳ, emergency surgery, peripheral vascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, heart failure, hypertension, previous cardiac surgery, and NT-proBNP concentration. The risk prediction model divided the patients into three equal-sized preoperative risk groups. Low-risk patients demonstrated no association between AKI and IOH of any severity, while high-risk patients demonstrated a statistically significant association between AKI and IOH with a cumulative duration greater than 104 min (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 2.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10-4.74; and adjusted OR: 3.63, 95% CI: 1.77-7.58) and an AUC greater than 905 mmHg min (adjusted OR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.01-4.36; and adjusted OR: 4.00, 95% CI: 1.95-8.43). CONCLUSION: IOH is a significant independent risk factor for AKI after cardiac surgery. Patients with higher baseline risk showed a more prominent relationship between IOH and postoperative AKI than low-risk patients.

Genome-Wide Association Study for Seed Dormancy Using Re-Sequenced Germplasm under Multiple Conditions in Rice.

Seed dormancy is a key factor used to determine seed germination in rice production. So far, only a few genes controlling seed dormancy have been reported, and the genetic mechanism of rice seed dormancy is still elusive. In this study, a population of 195 diverse re-sequenced accessions from 40 countries was evaluated for the seed germination rate (GR) without dormancy breaking (WDB) as a control and under dry heating (DH) and gibberellic acid (GA) treatments, as dormancy breaking agents to identify QTLs for seed dormancy. Phenotypic assessment revealed that these accessions had abundant variations in seed dormancy. GWAS using 1,120,223 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and a mixed linear model (MLM) incorporating both principal components (PCs) and kinship (K) identified 30 QTLs on 10 chromosomes, accounting for 7.3-20.4% of the phenotypic variance in GR. Ten of the QTLs were located in the regions of previously reported QTLs, while the rest were novel ones. Thirteen high-confidence candidate genes were predicted for the four QTLs detected in two or three conditions (qGR4-4, qGR4-5, qGR8 and qGR11-4) and one QTL with a large effect (qGR3). These genes were highly expressed during seed development and were significantly regulated by various hormone treatments. This study provides new insights into the genetic and molecular basis of rice seed dormancy/germination. The accessions with moderate and strong dormancy and markers for the QTLs and candidate genes are useful for attaining a proper level of seed dormancy.

Mapping QTLs and gene validation studies for Mg2+ uptake and translocation using a MAGIC population in rice.

Magnesium (Mg) is an essential element for plant growth and development. Rice is an important food crop in the world, but there are few studies on the uptake and translocation of Mg2+ in rice. We used a multi-parent advanced generation inter-cross (MAGIC) population constructed using four parental lines and genotyped by a 55 K rice SNP array for association analysis to locate QTLs related to Mg2+ uptake and translocation in rice at the seedling stage. Four QTLs (qRMg1, qRMg2, qRMg7 and qRMg8) were detected for the root Mg2+ concentration, which explained 11.45-13.08% of the phenotypic variation. The Mg2+ transporter gene, OsMGT1, was within the region of qRMg1. Three QTLs (qSMg3, qSMg7 and qSMg10) were detected for the shoot Mg2+ concentration, which explained 4.30-5.46% of the phenotypic variation. Two QTLs (qTrMg3 and qTrMg8) were found to affect the translocation of Mg2+ from the roots to the shoots, and explained 10.91% and 9.63% of phenotypic variation. qSMg3 and qTrMg3 might be the same, since they are very close to each other on chromosome 3. Analysis of candidate genes in the region of qSMg3 and qTrMg3 through qRT-PCR, complementation assay in the yeast Mg2+ transport-defective mutant CM66, and sequence analysis of the parental lines suggested that LOC_Os03g04360 may play important roles in Mg2+ uptake, translocation and accumulation in rice. Overexpression of LOC_Os03g04360 can significantly increase the Mg2+ concentration in rice seedlings, especially under the condition of low Mg2+ supply.

Overexpression of Nitrate Transporter 1/Peptide Gene OsNPF7.6 Increases Rice Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency.

Overuse of nitrogen fertilizer in fields has raised production costs, and caused environmental problems. Improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of rice is essential for sustainable agriculture. Here we report the cloning, characterization and roles for rice of OsNPF7.6, a member of the nitrate transporter 1/peptide transporter family (NPF). The OsNPF7.6 protein is located in the plasma membrane, expressed in each tissue at all stages and is significantly regulated by nitrate in rice. Our study shows that the overexpression of OsNPF7.6 can increase the nitrate uptake rate of rice. Additionally, field experiments showed that OsNPF7.6 overexpression increased the total tiller number per plant and the grain weight per panicle, thereby improving grain yield and agronomic NUE in rice. Thus, OsNPF7.6 can be applied to be a novel target gene for breeding rice varieties with high NUE, and provide a reference for breeding higher yielding rice.

The analgesic efficacy of pericapsular nerve group block in patients with intertrochanteric femur fracture: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to evaluate analgesic efficacy of pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block in patients with intertrochanteric femur fracture (IFF). METHODS: This double-blinded randomized controlled trial in patients with IFF scheduled for proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA) between December 2020 and November 2021. The primary outcome was VAS scores during exercising at 6 h after surgery; secondary outcomes were pain during exercising and rest, intraoperative dose of remifentanil, cumulative dose of postoperative fentanyl, postoperative analgesia satisfaction scores, and ratio of quadriceps weakness. RESULTS: A total of 50 patients were randomly divided into PENG block group (n = 25) or fascia iliaca compartment block (FICB) group (n = 25). Exercising VAS scores at 6 h after surgery were significantly lower in PENG block group than that in FICB group (2 (2, 4) vs. 6 (4, 7), P < 0.001). The intraoperative dose of remifentanil and cumulative dose of postoperative fentanyl by patient-controlled intravenous analgesia within 24 h after surgery in PENG block group were significantly lower than in FICB group (both P < 0.001). Postoperative analgesia satisfaction scores in PENG block group were significantly higher than those in FICB group (P = 0.016). The ratio of quadriceps weakness at 6 h after surgery was significantly higher in FICB group than PENG block group (48% vs. 0%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to FICB, ultrasound-guided PENG block may provide better postoperative pain relief in patients with IFF, with less pronounced quadriceps weakness.

Accumulation of Wheat Phenolic Acids under Different Nitrogen Rates and Growing Environments.

The health benefits of whole wheat grains are partially attributed to their phenolic acid composition, especially that of trans-ferulic acid (TFA), which is a powerful natural antioxidant. Breeders and producers are becoming interested in wheat with enhanced health-promoting effects. This study investigated the effects of different nitrogen (N) application rates (0, 42, 84, 126, and 168 N kg ha-1) on the phenolic acid composition of three wheat varieties in four locations for two years. The results indicate that the different N rates did not affect the TFA concentration but that they significantly affected the concentrations of para-coumaric acid, sinapic acid, and cis-ferulic acid in the wheat grains. A statistical analysis suggested that the wheat phenolic acid composition was predominantly determined by wheat variety, though there existed some interaction effect between the wheat variety and environments. The TFA concentration of the variety Jimai 22 was generally higher (with a mean value of 726.04 µg/g) but was easily affected by the environment, while the TFA concentration of the variety Zhongmai 578 (with a mean value of 618.01 µg/g) was more stable across the different environments. The results also suggest that it is possible to develop new wheat varieties with high yield potential, good end-use properties, and enhanced nutraceutical values.