This study aimed to investigate the effects of physical multimorbidity on the trajectory of cognitive decline over 17 years and whether vary across wealth status. The study was conducted in 9035 respondents aged 50+ at baseline from nine waves (2002–2019) of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging. A latent class analysis was used to identify patterns of physical multimorbidity, and mixed multilevel models were performed to determine the association between physical multimorbidity and trajectories of cognitive decline. Joint analyses were conducted to further verify the influence of wealth status. Four patterns of physical multimorbidity were identified. Mixed multilevel models with quadratic terms of time and status/patterns indicated significant non-linear trajectories of multimorbidity on cognitive function. The magnitude of the association between complex multisystem patterns and cognitive decline increased the most as follow-up progressed. Individuals with high wealth and hypertension/diabetes patterns have significantly lower composite global cognitive z scores over time as compared with respiratory/osteoporosis patterns. Physical multimorbidity at baseline is associated with the trajectory of cognitive decline, and the magnitude of the association increased over time. The trend of cognitive decline differed in specific combinations of wealth status and physical multimorbidity.

Diagnostic classification models (DCMs) have seen wide applications in educational and psychological measurement, especially in formative assessment. DCMs in the presence of testlets have been studied in recent literature. A key ingredient in the statistical modeling and analysis of testlet-based DCMs is the superposition of two latent structures, the attribute profile and the testlet effect. This paper extends the standard testlet DINA (T-DINA) model to accommodate the potential correlation between the two latent structures. Model identifiability is studied and a set of sufficient conditions are proposed. As a byproduct, the identifiability of the standard T-DINA is also established. The proposed model is applied to a dataset from the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment. Comparisons are made with DINA and T-DINA, showing that there is substantial improvement in terms of the goodness of fit. Simulations are conducted to assess the performance of the new method under various settings.

Time limits are imposed on many computer-based assessments, and it is common to observe examinees who run out of time, resulting in missingness due to not-reached items. The present study proposes an approach to account for the missing mechanisms of not-reached items via response time censoring. The censoring mechanism is directly incorporated into the observed likelihood of item responses and response times. A marginal maximum likelihood estimator is proposed, and its asymptotic properties are established. The proposed method was evaluated and compared to several alternative approaches that ignore the censoring through simulation studies. An empirical study based on the PISA 2018 Science Test was further conducted.

Giant chickweed [Myosoton aquaticum (L.) Moench], a troublesome broadleaf weed species, is widespread in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) fields in China. However, limited information is available on its germination and seedling emergence ecology. Thus, three M. aquaticum populations (JS, HN, and AH) from different geographic regions were studied under laboratory conditions to determine the effects of different environmental factors on germination or seedling emergence. The seeds germinated at a relatively wide constant temperature range of 5 to 25 C; however, the optimal temperature for germination varied among the populations. Compared with constant temperatures, fluctuating temperatures with the same mean significantly improved the final germination of all populations. Light was not required for germination. The seeds germinated under a wide pH range of 3 to 10, and the optimum pH was 6 to 7, with a final germination percentage of 81% to 95%. The seeds of all populations showed similar sensitivities to osmotic potential and similar high tolerances of saline conditions. The seedling emergence of all populations decreased with increasing burial depth, and no emergence was observed when the seeds were buried more than 3 cm, but the AH population showed higher sensitivity to burial depth than the others. The results generated from this study will contribute to the development of integrated M. aquaticum management strategies for winter wheat fields in China, and deep plowing and late sowing of autumn-sown wheat are suggested for managing M. aquaticum, as it showed lower germination at a low temperature and under relatively deep burial.

Shortawn foxtail is an invasive grass weed infesting winter wheat and canola production in China. A better understanding of the germination ecology of shortawn foxtail would help to develop better control strategies for this weed. Experiments were conducted under laboratory conditions to evaluate the effects of various abiotic factors, including temperature, light, pH, osmotic stress, salt concentration, and planting depth, on seed germination and seedling emergence of shortawn foxtail. The results showed that the seed germination rate was greater than 90% over a wide range of constant (5 to 25C) and alternating (15/5 to 35/25C) temperatures. Maximum germination occurred at 20C or 25/15C, and no germination occurred at 35C. Light did not appear to have any effect on seed germination. Shortawn foxtail germination was 27% to 99% over a pH range of 4 to 10, and higher germination was obtained at alkaline pH values ranging from 7 to 10. Seed germination was sensitive to osmotic potential and completely inhibited at an osmotic potential of −0.6 MPa, but it was tolerant to salinity: germination even occurred at 200 mM NaCl (5%). Seedling emergence was highest (98%) when seeds were placed on the soil surface but declined with the increasing burial depth. No seedlings emerged when seeds were buried 6-cm deep. Deep tillage could be an effective measure to limit seed germination from increased burial depth. The results of this study will lead to a better understanding of the requirements for shortawn foxtail germination and emergence and will provide information that could contribute to its control.

Understanding the mechanism of herbicide resistance is fundamental for designing sustainable weed control strategies and exploiting herbicides rationally. Shortawn foxtail is a problem grass weed infesting several important crops in China. The repeated use of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicides has resulted in herbicide resistance in this weed. The ACCase gene of resistant individuals of a shortawn foxtail population (JSLS-1) has an Ile-2041-Thr mutation. F2 generation seeds, originated from the same heterozygous plant, were harvested, and two homozygous mutant (JSLS-1RR) and wild (JSLS-1SS) populations for the Ile-2041-Thr mutation were obtained. In whole plants, the JSLS-1RR population conferred high resistance to fenoxaprop and clodinafop, moderate resistance to haloxyfop, low resistance to pinoxaden, and no obvious resistance to clethodim and sethoxydim, compared with JSLS-1SS and a proven susceptible population (HNXY-1). A derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (dCAPS) marker was developed to rapidly detect the rare Ile-2041-Thr mutation in the shortawn foxtail population. This is the first report of the cross-resistance pattern of Ile-2041-Thr mutation, and the robust dCAPS marker could quickly detect this mutation in shortawn foxtail.

Shortawn foxtail is a competitive annual grass weed widely spread in east, south-central, and southwest China and parts of the Yellow River basin. One shortawn foxtail population (JSQT-1) resistant to fenoxaprop was identified in Jiangyan, Jiangsu province. Whole-plant experiments determined that the resistant population conferred high-level resistance to fenoxaprop (93-fold), clodinafop (21-fold), sethoxydim (107-fold), mesosulfuron (41-fold), and pyroxsulam (12-fold); moderate-level resistance to haloxyfop (8-fold), clethodim (9-fold), and pinoxaden (8-fold), and no resistance to isoproturon. Molecular analyses confirmed that the Ile-1781-Leu mutation was present in the resistant population. A dCAPS marker was used to detect the Ile-1781-Leu mutation. All 97 plants of the resistant population analyzed were homozygous mutants at the 1781 position. Our study established the first case of fenoxaprop resistance in shortawn foxtail, determined cross resistance to other herbicides, and elucidated that the molecular basis of resistance resulted from, at least partly, an Ile to Leu mutation at amino acid position 1781 in the plastid ACCase.

American sloughgrass is a troublesome grass weed in winter wheat fieldsafter rice in China. Mesosulfuron-methyl failed to control Americansloughgrass in Danyang County in 2012. The purpose of this research was todetermine the resistance level to mesosulfuron and other herbicides inAmerican sloughgrass and to identify the molecular basis of resistance.Dose–response experiments indicated that this population was moderatelyresistant to mesosulfuron-methyl (7.6-fold) and pyroxsulam (6.0-fold),highly resistant to flucarbazone-sodium (20.3-fold), fenoxaprop-p-ethyl (565.0-fold), clodinafop-proargyl(19.5-fold), and pinoxaden (45.9-fold), and susceptible to isoproturon. Partof the acetolactate sythase (ALS) gene was cloned and sequenced to confirmthe molecular mechanism of resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides. A Pro197Ser substitution was identified. This substitution islikely the molecular mechanism of resistance to mesosulfuron-methyl in theDanyang population in which it is cross-resistant to flucarbazone-sodium andpyroxsulam. This study established the first report of mesosulfuron-methylresistance likely caused by a Pro197 substitution in Americansloughgrass and a potential herbicide to control this resistant weed.

Overreliance on tribenuron has resulted in resistance evolution in waterstarwort. This study investigates the resistance mechanisms to tribenuron inwater starwort populations from China. The cytochrome P450 monooxygenase(P450) inhibitor malathion increased tribenuron sensitivity in allpopulations. The decrease in the amount of herbicide dose that causes 50%growth reduction (GR50) for the sensitive (S) population JS24 andthe resistant (R) populations JS16 and JS17 were 2.3-, 2.5-, and 4.1-fold,respectively. However, the GR50 values for the R populations werestill much higher than those of the S population. This observation indicatesthat P450-mediated enhanced metabolism is one mechanism for resistance inwater starwort. The glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity could beinduced by tribenuron for all tested populations. In particular, the GSTactivity of JS16 is inherently greater and is more rapidly induced than thatof JS17 or JS24. Resistance attributed to mutant acetolactate synthase (ALS)alleles was identified by sequence analysis for each population. Pro197Sersubstitution was detected in JS16 and JS17. Molecular markers were alsodeveloped to rapidly identify resistance as well as individuals carrying thespecific Pro197Ser mutation in water starwort populations. The resistancepatterns experiment revealed that the R populations exhibited differentlevels of resistance to pyrithiobac sodium salt, florasulam, pyroxsulam, andflucarbazone-Na; however, R populations were sensitive to imazethapyr,fluroxypyr-meptyl, 2,4-D butylate, isoproturon, and diflufenican. This studyestablishes that either one or at least two resistance mechanisms areinvolved in herbicide resistance in water starwort. Moreover, thesemechanisms might contribute to the different levels of resistance totribenuron among water starwort populations.

ζ Tau is a well-known V/R-variable shell star. It is a single-lined spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of 133 days (Harmanec 1984, and Jarad 1987). Delplace (1970) found that the long-term radial velocity variations of the Balmer shell absorption lines are cyclic in 1960–67. Subsequently, similar behaviour has been observed and studied by several authors (Delplace and Chambon 1976, Hubert-Delplace et al 1983, Harmanec 1984, and Guo and Cao 1987). Mon et al (1992) showed that the cyclic variation had terminated and the star seems to have entered a new quiet phase around 1982.