Plasmoid ejection and secondary current sheet generation from magnetic reconnection in laser-plasma interaction

Reconnection of the self-generated magnetic fields in laser-plasma interaction was first investigated experimentally by Nilson {\it et al.} [Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 255001 (2006)] by shining two laser pulses a distance apart on a solid target layer. An elongated current sheet (CS) was observed in the plasma between the two laser spots. In order to more closely model magnetotail reconnection, here two side-by-side thin target layers, instead of a single one, are used. It is found that at one end of the elongated CS a fan-like electron outflow region including three well-collimated electron jets appears. The ($>1$ MeV) tail of the jet energy distribution exhibits a power-law scaling. The enhanced electron acceleration is attributed to the intense inductive electric field in the narrow electron dominated reconnection region, as well as additional acceleration as they are trapped inside the rapidly moving plasmoid formed in and ejected from the CS. The ejection also induces a secondary CS

Development and Evaluation of Peanut Germplasm with Resistance to Aspergillus flavus from Core Collection

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), one of the main oil and cash crops in the world, is easily susceptible to Aspergillus flavus, resulting huge loss in its quality, so Aspergillus flavus infection greatly limits peanut production and industry in China. Therefore, it is imperative to develop new peanut germplasm with resistance to Aspergillus flavus in breeding program. The core collection is well accepted as a useful way to improve the efficiency of crop germplasm evaluation and utilization, which contains a subset of accessions from the entire collection that covers the most of available genetic information. In the present study, a total of 561 accessions of Chinese peanut core collection and 155 accessions of ICRISAT mini core collection were identified. Eight varieties with resistance to Aspergillus flavus invasion and aflatoxin production each were developed, including one (51002-6) with elite agronomic traits. The peanut germplasm with resistance to Aspergillus flavus invasion and aflatoxin production in ICRISAT mini core were more than those in Chinese peanut core collection. In addition, the percentages of accessions with resistance to Aspergillus flavus invasion in var. hypogaea, and accessions resistant to aflatoxin production in var. hirsuta were relatively high in comparison with others. Genetic diversity in the resistant peanut selections was evaluated based on morphological traits and SSR approach. ICG12625 with resistance to aflatoxin production and ICG4750 with resistance to aflatoxin invasion were evaluated by SSR, the genetic distance of them with high-yielding cultivars such as Zhonghua 5, Zhonghua 6 and Zhonghua 12 and Yuanza 9102 was larger. The primers were designed based on the conserved NBS-LRR domains of the disease resistance genes sequence, one RGA (Resistance gene analog) from genomic DNA of six different peanuts with resistance to Aspergillus flavus was obtained through PCR

Peanut Core Collection Established in China and Compared with ICRISAT Mini Core Collection

The core collection has been well accepted as a useful way to improve the efficiency of crop germplasm evaluation, conservation and utilization. Around 6 390 accessions of cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) have been collected in China. In order to characterize and utilize the germplasm more efficiently for further crop improvement, the available morphological and biochemical data were analyzed to develop a core collection. The entire collection was first stratified by botanical types and then grouped by origin locations. Based on the data of 15 morphological and biochemical characters, the accessions in each botanicalhttp://scholar.google.co.in/scholar?hl=en&q=allintitle%3A+%22Peanut+Core+Collection+Established+in+China+and+Compared+with+ICRISAT+Mini+Core+Collection%22&btnG=Search&as_sdt=0%2C5&as_ylo=&as_vis=0 type were clustered by SAS method. From each cluster, five to ten percent of the accessions were randomly selected to form a core collection consisting of 576 accessions, which was 9.01% of the entire collection. The genetic variation in the entire collec- tion was well presented in the core collection based on comparison of diversity index of the involved traits in both entire and core collections. Comparison between the newly selected Chinese peanut core collection and the introduced mini core collection con- sisting of 184 lines established at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) indicated that there were wider diversities in the var. hirsuta and vulgaris as well as in leaf length, leaf width, seed length, seed width in the Chinese core collection. The ICRISAT peanut collection had wider diversities in var. hypogaea and fastigiata as well as in plant height and number of total branches than Chinese peanut resource

Smoking, acute mountain sickness and altitude acclimatisation: a cohort study

RATIONALE: The relationship between cigarette smoking and acute mountain sickness (AMS) is not clear. OBJECTIVE: To assess AMS risk and altitude acclimatisation in relation to smoking. METHODS: 200 healthy non-smokers and 182 cigarette smokers were recruited from Han lowland workers. These were men without prior altitude exposure, matched for age, health status and occupation, who were transported to an altitude of 4525 masl. MEASUREMENTS: AMS, smoking habits, arterial saturation (SpO2), haemoglobin (Hb), lung function and mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAPm) were assessed upon arrival and after 3 and 6 months. MAIN RESULTS: Compared with non-smokers, smokers had a lower incidence of AMS and lower AMS scores than non-smokers upon arrival; higher Hb and PAPm associated with lower SpO2 at 3 and 6 months at altitude; and lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s and maximal voluntary ventilation at 3 and 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking slightly decreases the risk of AMS but impairs long-term altitude acclimatisation and lung function during a prolonged stay at high altitude

CRISPR Inversion of CTCF Sites Alters Genome Topology and Enhancer/Promoter Function

Summary CTCF and the associated cohesin complex play a central role in insulator function and higher-order chromatin organization of mammalian genomes. Recent studies identified a correlation between the orientation of CTCF-binding sites (CBSs) and chromatin loops. To test the functional significance of this observation, we combined CRISPR/Cas9-based genomic-DNA-fragment editing with chromosome-conformation-capture experiments to show that the location and relative orientations of CBSs determine the specificity of long-range chromatin looping in mammalian genomes, using protocadherin (Pcdh) and β-globin as model genes. Inversion of CBS elements within the Pcdh enhancer reconfigures the topology of chromatin loops between the distal enhancer and target promoters and alters gene-expression patterns. Thus, although enhancers can function in an orientation-independent manner in reporter assays, in the native chromosome context, the orientation of at least some enhancers carrying CBSs can determine both the architecture of topological chromatin domains and enhancer/promoter specificity. These findings reveal how 3D chromosome architecture can be encoded by linear genome sequences

Application of an innovative grid-based surveillance strategy to ensure elimination and prevent reintroduction of malaria in high-risk border communities in China

Grid management is a grassroots governance strategy widely implemented in China since 2004 to improve the government's efficiency to actively find and solve problems among populated regions. A grid-based strategy surveillancing high-risk groups, including mobile and migrant populations (MMPs), in the China-Myanmar border region has played an indispensable role in promoting and consolidating the malaria elimination efforts by tracking and timely identification of potential importation or re-establishment of malaria among MMPs. A sequential mixed methods was implementated to explore the operational mechanism and best practices of the grid-based strategy including through the focus group discussions (FGDs), comparison of before and after the implementation of a grid-based strategy in the field sites, and data collection from the local health system.This paper distills the implementation mechanism and highlights the role of the grid-based strategy in the elimination and prevention of re-establishment of malaria transmission