MAPPING QUANTITATIVE TRAIT LOCI ASSOCIATED WITH RESISTANCE TO BACTERIAL SPOT (XANTHOMONAS ARBORICOLA PV. PRUNI) IN PEACH

Bacterial spot, caused by Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni (Xap), is a serious disease that can affect peach fruit quality and production worldwide. This disease causes severe defoliation and blemishing of fruit, particularly in areas with high rainfall, strong winds, high humidity and sandy soil. The molecular basis of its tolerance and susceptibility in peach is yet to be understood. To study the genetics of the peach response to Xap, an F2 segregating population between two peach cultivars, `Clayton\u27, a resistant phenotype, and `O\u27Henry\u27, which is very susceptible to Xap, was created. Phenotypic data for leaf and fruit response to Xap infection were collected over three years at two locations: the Sandhills Research Station, Jackson Springs, North Carolina (NC) and the Sandhill Research and Education Center, Pontiac, South Carolina (SC). Phenotypic data for leaf and fruit organs were collected with 26 data points in total. Our phenotypic data suggest that Xap resistance in peach is a quantitative trait, and leaf and fruit resistance is regulated by separate genetic factors. In addition, relative humidity higher than 80% from petal fall to shucks off (gererally from March 15th to April 15th) plays a significant role on the occurrence of Xap disease incidence and severity. A genetic map was initially developed using SSR markers, however, only thirteen SSR markers were put on the linkage map. Therefore, sixty three individuals exhibiting high tolerance/resistance to Xap were genotyped with an IPSC 9K peach SNP array v1. Out of 8,144 SNPs 1,341 were used to construct a high-density genetic linkage map. This map covers a genetic distance of 421.4 cM with an average spacing of 1.6 cM and is used for mapping QTLs responsible for Xap in peach. 95% of the mapped SNP markers on the linkage map showed consistency with the marker order on the peach genome v1.0 assembly. A QTL analysis revealed 14 QTLs involved in Xap resistance: 3 on linkage group (LG) 1; two on each LG2, 3, 4 and 8; and one on each LG5, 6, and 7. One major Xap.Pp.CO-4.1 on LG4 was associated with Xap resistance in leaf, and one major QTL Xap.Pp.CO-5.1 on LG5, was associated with Xap resistance on both leaf and fruit and two major QTLs. While Xap.Pp.CO-1.2 and Xap.Pp.CO-6.1 on LG1 and 6, was associated with Xap resistance in fruit

Truly sustainable or not? An assessment on China’s textile and apparel corporations’ sustainability performance from the moral responsibility perspective

This study reviewed Chinese textile and apparel corporations’ sustainability efforts and classified them into one of the six categories proposed by Ha-Brookshire’s (2015) Moral Responsibility Theory of Corporate Sustainability (MRCS). Content analysis of self-reported corporate documents was applied.Among 86 companies that were found to have “Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report” or “Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report” available in public domain,19 expressed themselves as truly sustainable corporations,while 43 were categorized intooccasionally sustainable corporations. Other companies appeared as occasionally unsustainable (4), consistently sustainable in selective areas (4), and occasionally sustainable in selective areas (7). 9 companies did not indicate their views on sustainability from the moral duty perspective. This study implied that if Chinese textile and apparel manufacturers wanted to be truly sustainable, they must establish clear goals and structures to implement their visions

Photothermally Induced Alkyl Radicals and Pyroptosis Synergistically Inhibit Breast Tumor Growth

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an emerging local tumor ablation technique with clinical translation potential. After the NIR-II laser irradiates the tumor, the photothermal agent Hu-Kaiwen ink (Ink) converts light energy into hyperthermia and maintains the temperature at 42-45°C, thus achieving a low-temperature photothermal therapy. Alkyl radicals can kill tumor cells by overcoming the hypoxic microenvironment of the tumor. The photothermal reaction can induce the conversion of alkyl radicals from 2,2′-azobis[2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl) propane] dihydrochloride (AIPH) and thus have a synergistic tumor inhibition effect. the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor decitabine (DCT) can induce pyroptosis and cause inflammation and immune response to achieve systemic immunity. In this way, a synergistic combination of photothermal, alkyl radicals and pyroptosis could be used to kill breast tumor cells. Sodium alginate (ALG) was used as a carrier to form a hydrogel structure, which can improve the stability and duration of action of the mixed drugs. The significant tumor growth inhibitory effect of composite hydrogels has been demonstrated in both in vitro and ex vivo studies