Micromechanical testing and property upscaling of planetary rocks:A critical review

Knowledge of the mechanical behavior of planetary rocks is indispensable for space explorations.The scarcity of pristine samples and the irregular shapes of planetary meteorites make it difficult to obtain representative samples for conventional macroscale rock mechanics experiments(macro-RMEs).This critical review discusses recent advances in microscale RMEs(micro-RMEs)techniques and the upscaling methods for extracting mechanical parameters.Methods of mineralogical and microstructural analyses,along with non-destructive mechanical techniques,have provided new opportunities for studying planetary rocks with unprecedented precision and capabilities.First,we summarize several mainstream methods for obtaining the mineralogy and microstructure of planetary rocks.Then,nondestructive micromechanical testing methods,nanoindentation and atomic force microscopy(AFM),are detailed reviewed,illustrating the principles,advantages,influencing factors,and available testing results from literature.Subsequently,several feasible upscaling methods that bridge the micro-measurements of meteorite pieces to the strength of the intact body are introduced.Finally,the potential applications of planetary rock mechanics research to guiding the design and execution of space missions are environed,ranging from sample return missions and planetary defense to extraterrestrial construction.These discussions are expected to broaden the understanding of the microscale mechanical properties of planetary rocks and their significant role in deep space exploration.

Toluene Processed All-Polymer Solar Cells with 18%Efficiency and Enhanced Stability Enabled by Solid Additive:Comparison Between Sequential-Processing and Blend-Casting

The emergence of polymerized small molecule acceptors(PSMAs)has significantly improved the performance of all-polymer solar cells(all-PSCs).However,the pace of device engineering lacks behind that of materials development,so that a majority of the PSMAs have not fulfilled their potentials.Furthermore,most high-performance all-PSCs rely on the use of chloroform as the processing solvent.For instance,the recent highperformance PSMA,named PJ1-γ,with high LUMO,and HOMO levels,could only achieve a PCE of 16.1%with a high-energy-level donor(JD40)using chloroform.Herein,we present a methodology combining sequential processing(SqP)with the addition of 0.5%wt PC_(71)BM as a solid additive(SA)to achieve an impressive efficiency of 18.0%for all-PSCs processed from toluene,an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent.Compared to the conventional blend-casting(BC)method whose best efficiency(16.7%)could only be achieved using chloroform,the SqP method significantly boosted the device efficiency using toluene as the processing solvent.In addition,the donor we employ is the classic PM6 that has deeper energy levels than JD40,which provides low energy loss for the device.We compare the results with another PSMA(PYF-T-o)with the same method.Finally,an improved photostability of the SqP devices with the incorporation of SA is demonstrated.

Advances in the study of waterlogging tolerance in plants

Waterlogging is one of the major abiotic stresses threatening crop yields globally.Under waterlogging stress,plants suffer from oxidative stress,heavy metal toxicity and energy deficiency,leading to metabolic disorders and growth inhibition.On the other hand,plants have evolved waterlogging-tolerance or adaptive mechanisms,including morphological changes,alternation of respiratory pathways,antioxidant protection and endogenous hormonal regulation.In this review,recent advances in studies on the effects of waterlogging stress and the mechanisms of waterlogging tolerance in plants are presented,and the genetic differences in waterlogging tolerance among plant species or genotypes within a species are illustrated.We also summarize the identified QTLs and key genes associated with waterlogging tolerance.

CT and MRI Findings of Intracranial Cavernous Hemangioma Malformation

Objective:To investigate the computed tomography(CT)and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)features of cavernous hemangioma malformation(CHM)to enhance diagnostic accuracy.Methods:The CT and MRI findings and clinical information of 23 patients with CHM were retrospectively analyzed.Results:CT examinations were conducted in 7 cases,while MRI was utilized in 23 cases.Additionally,SWI was employed in 5 cases and enhanced imaging techniques were applied in 14 cases.Among the observed lesions,20 cases presented with a singular lesion,whereas 3 cases exhibited multiple lesions.The lesions were located in 8 frontal lobes,6 cerebellums,2 brainstems,6 temporal lobes,1 basal ganglia,3 parieto-occipital lobes,and 2 thalamus regions.The nodules appeared as quasi-circular lesions with clear or well-defined boundaries.They presented as isodense lesions on CT scans,with one lesion showing peritumoral edema.On MRI,T1-weighted imaging(T1WI)demonstrated isointense signals,while T2-weighted imaging(T2WI)showed isointense and hyperintense signals.Additionally,10 lesions exhibited a low signal ring on T2WI.Diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI)revealed nodular or isointense low signals,while susceptibility-weighted imaging(SWI)displayed enlarged areas of low signal.Fourteen lesions underwent contrast-enhanced scanning,with 2 lesions showing no obvious enhancement,1 lesion demonstrating mild to moderate enhancement,and 11 lesions exhibiting significant enhancement.Notably,6 of these enhanced lesions were surrounded by small blood vessels.Conclusion:Cavernous hemangioma malformation is more commonly found in individual cases.CT alone lacks specificity,making it prone to misdiagnosis.A more comprehensive evaluation of cavernous hemangioma malformation can be achieved through a combination of MRI,DWI,SWI,and enhanced examination,providing valuable references for clinical assessment.

MRI Findings and Diagnostic Significance of Soft Tissue Schwannomas in the Extremities

Objective:To analyze the MRI features and rare manifestations of schwannomas of the extremities to improve diagnosis.Methods:Retrospective analysis of 23 cases of schwannomas in the extremities confirmed by surgical pathology,summarizing its signs,signal characteristics and MRI enhancement.Results:Among the 23 cases,20 were single lesions,and 3 were multiple lesions,resulting in a total of 28 lesions.The distribution of these lesions included 7 in the thigh,9 in the calves,4 in the armpits,3 in the hips,and 4 each in the upper arms and forearms.Additionally,there was one lesion located in the groin.On T1-weighted imaging(T1WI),the lesions showed iso-intensity or hypo-intensity.On T2-weighted imaging(T2WI),they appeared slightly hyperintense or hyper-intense.Some lesions exhibited multiple small vesicle-like higher signals,cystic changes,and fiber spacing on T2WI.Furthermore,one lesion showed a liquid-liquid plane.The“target sign”was observed in 18 lesions(64.3%)and“neuropathic signs”were present in six lesions(21.4%).Finally,it was noted that on MRI enhancement,the lesions demonstrated uniform or uneven enhancement.The lesions were uniformly or unevenly enhanced on MRI enhancement.Conclusions:The MRI findings of schwannoma in the extremities exhibit specific characteristics.The cystic changes on T2WI also display distinct features.Recognition of rare MRI findings,such as cystic changes,liquid-liquid plane and septum,should be emphasized to enhance the accuracy of pre-diagnosing schwannomas.

Dexamethasone does not affect endolymphatic hydrops(EH)in patients with Meniere's disease within 24 h,and intratympanic administration of gadolinium plus dexamethasone simplifies high-quality imaging of EH using a novel protocol of 7 min

Background:Intratympanic administration of gadolinium chelate allows for a better visualization of endolymphatic hydrops(EH)using MRI than intravenous injection and was recently further improved to facilitate high-quality imaging of EH in 7 min.The aim of the present study was to simplify the intratympanic administration protocol by mixing gadolinium chelate with therapeutic dexamethasone and to evaluate the effects of this mixture on the visualization of EH in MRI.Materials and methods:In an in vitro study,the potential impact of gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid(Gd-DTPA)on the stability of dexamethasone was evaluated by analyzing dynamic changes in dexamethasone with high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)after mixing with GdDTPA.Ten patients with definite Meniere's disease(MD)were recruited to study the potential interference of dexamethasone on MRI visualization of EH,and 49 patients with MD were recruited to evaluate the effect of intratympanic injection of Gd-DTPA mixed with dexamethasone on MRI of EH using a 3T MR machine and a novel heavily T2-weighted 3-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery reconstructed using a magnitude plus zero-filled interpolation(hT2FLAIR-MZFI)sequence.Results:The retention times and peak area of dexamethasone in HPLC were not modified by the addition of Gd-DTPA.EH grading in the cochlea and vestibule was not influenced in any ear by intratympanic injection of dexamethasone.Excellent inner ear images were obtained from all patients,and EHs with various grades were displayed.There were significant correlations between diagnosis and cochlear EH(p<0.01,Spearman's Rho),between diagnosis and vestibular EH(p<0.01,Spearman's Rho),and between cochlear and vestibular EH(p<0.01,Spearman's Rho).The distribution of Gd-DTPA plus dexamethasone negatively correlated with the grade of vestibular EH.Injury of the endolymph-perilymph barrier was detected in one cochlea and three vestibules of 59 inner ears with MD.Conclusions:Intratympanic administration of Gd-DTPA plus dexamethasone yielded high-quality MRI images of EH in patients with MD using a novel 7-min protocol and simplified the clinical application.Intratympanic administration of Gd-DTPA plus dexamethasone might be used to test its therapeutic effect in future work.

Use of recycled gypsum in the cement-based stabilization of very soft clays and its micro-mechanism

This paper presents an experimental study and micro-mechanism discussion on gypsum role in the mechanical improvements of cement-based stabilized clay(CBSC).A soft marine clay at two initial water contents(i.e.50%and 70%)was treated by reconstituted cementitious binders with varying gypsum to clinker(G/C)ratios and added metakaolin to facilitate the formation of ettringite,followed by the measurements of final water contents,dry densities and strengths in accordance with ASTM standards as well as microstructure by mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).Results reveal that the gypsum fraction has a significant influence on the index and mechanical properties of the CBSC,and there exists a threshold of the G/C ratio,which is 10%and 15%for clays with 50%and 70%initial water contents,respectively.Beyond which adding excessive gypsum cannot improve the strength further,eliminating the beneficial role.At these thresholds of the G/C ratio,the unconfined compressive strength(UCS)values for clays with 50%and 70%initial water contents are 1.74 MPa and 1.53 MPa at 60 d of curing,respectively.Microstructure characterization shows that,besides the common cementation-induced strengthening,newly formed ettringite also acts as significant pore infills,and the associated remarkable volumetric expansion is responsible,and may be the primary factor,for the beneficial strength gain due to the added gypsum.Moreover,pore-filling ettringite also leads to the conversion of relatively large inter-aggregate to smaller intra-aggregate pores,thereby causing a more homogeneous matrix or solid skeleton with higher strength.Overall,added gypsum plays a vital beneficial role in the strength development of the CBSC,especially for very soft clays.

On the measurements of individual particle properties via compression and crushing

An experimental study is presented to measure the elastic,yielding,and crushing properties of individual particles under compression using substrates made of aluminum alloy,stainless steel,and sapphire.Carefully selected,highly spherical individual Ottawa sand particles of 0.75e1.1 mm in nominal diameter were compressed between two smooth substrates,and the loadedeformation curves were analyzed by Hertz elastic contact theory to derive their reduced modulus and Young’s modulus as well as yielding and crushing strengths,which vary significantly with the type of substrate materials.Further analysis of the yielding and plastic deformation at the particle-substrate contact shows that the yield strength or hardness of the substrate materials dominates the local contact behavior and hence affects the measured apparent yielding and crushing strengths.The two softer substrates(aluminum alloy and stainless steel)actually lead to underestimated apparent shear yield strengths of quartz particles by 60.4%and 54.2%,respectively,which are actually the yielding of substrates,while the true particle yielding occurs in the sapphire-particle contact.Moreover,the two softer substrates cause much overestimated crushing strengths of the quartz particles by 50.4%and 36.4%,respectively.Selection of inappropriate substrate materials and inappropriate interpretation of the particle-substrate contact can lead to significant errors in the measured yielding and crushing strengths.It is recommended that single particle compression testing uses substrates with yield strength greater than that of the tested particles and result interpretation also considers the elastic and yielding behaviors of the substrates.

Location of the AICA influences the severity but not occurrence of ISSNHL:A reappraisal using high-resolution 3 T MRI

Objective:To investigate the potential influence of anatomical variation in the anterior inferior cerebellar artery(AICA)on the occurrence and severity of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss(ISSNHL).Methods:Ninety ISSNHL patients were enrolled.The anatomical location of the AICA was exhibited using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),and the various AICA types classified by previously reported Chavda and Gorrie methods were analyzed.The severity of hearing loss in the ipsilateral ear among different AICA types was compared.Results:Approximately 85.6%of subjects had unilateral ISSNHL(uISSNHL),and the others had bilateral ISSNHL(bISSNHL).In the uISSNHL group,the ratios of different AICA types were similar between the ipsilateral and contralateral ears.The ratios of the different AICA types in the bISSNHL group were similar to those in the uISSNHL group.In the uISSNHL group,pure tone audiometry(PTA)thresholds at 2 kHz,4 kHz and 8 kHz of patients with Chavda type II AICA were higher than those of patients with Chavda type I and type III,with a significant difference at 4 kHz between type I and type II.There was a tendency of the PTA threshold in patients with Chavda type II or Gorrie type C to gradually increase from low to high frequency zones.Conclusion:When the AICA enters the IAC(Chavda type II)or crosses between the 7th and 8th cranial nerves(Gorrie type C),the severity and frequency of hearing impairment in ISSNHL but not the occurrence of ISSNHL will be affected.

Antimony removal from wastewater by sulfate-reducing bacteria in a bench-scale upflow anaerobic packed-bed reactor

The objective of this research was to study the precipitation of Sb and the stability of Sb2S3 during treatment of synthetic Sb(V)wastewater by sulfate-reducing bacteria(SRB).We investigated the transformation and precipitation of Sb,as well as the re-dissolution of Sb2S3 under different pH and carbon sources.The results showed that the precipitation of aqueous Sb and the re-dissolution of Sb2S3 depend on the conversion between Sb(Ⅲ)-S(-Ⅱ)complexes and Sb2S3 precipitates.These processes were highly pH-dependent,and a decrease in pH enhanced reduction of Sb(Ⅴ)and precipitation of Sb2S3 were observed.The newly formed Sb2S3 was found to be unstable and could re-dissolve through complexation with H2 S due to the increase in pH.When pH decreased to approximately 6.5,Sb was almost completely transformed into Sb2S3 precipitates,and the Sb2S3 precipitates were relatively stable.Compared with lactate as a carbon source,ethanol resulted in a comparable H2 S yield and a relatively low pH and was,therefore,more conducive to the removal of Sb(Ⅴ).The results of this study suggest that when removing Sb(Ⅴ)in wastewater by SRB,it is important to control the pH at a relatively low level.

MEFV,IRF8,ADA,PEPD,and NBAS gene variants and elevated serum cytokines in a patient with unilateral sporadic Meniere's disease and vascular congestion over the endolymphatic sac

The etiology and underlying mechanism of Meniere's disease(MD)development are still unknown,although inflammation and autoimmunity have been implicated as underlying mechanisms.The human endolymphatic sac(ES)has been reported to have innate and adaptive immune capacity in local immune reactions.In vivo demonstration of inflammation of the ES in patients with MD is missing in the literature.We report the case of a 47-year-old female patient diagnosed with unilateral MD with genetic variants and cytokine markers indicating inflammation and vascular congestion of the ES.Endolymphatic hydrops in the right cochlea(grade 2)and vestibulum(grade 3)were detected using MRI.She carried heterozygous variants in MEFV(c.442G>C),IRF8(c.1157G>T),ADA(c.445C>T),PEPD(c.151G>A),NBAS(c.4049T>C),CSF2RB(c.2222C>T),HPS6(c.277G>T),IL2RB(c.1109C>T),IL12RB1(c.1384G>T),IL17RC(c.260_271del GCAAGAGC TGGG),LIG1(c.746G>A),RAG1(c.650C>A),and SLX4(c.1258G>C,c.5072A>G).In the serum,the levels of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor(G-CSF),macrophage inflammatory protein 1a,and IL7 were significantly elevated,and the level of IL2Ra was reduced.Intratympanic administration of dexamethasone temporarily alleviated her hearing loss.Her vertigo was significantly relieved but remained slight after ES administration of corticosteroids.

Analysis of the Risk of Basilar Aneurysm Rupture Based on CTA Morphological Parameters

Objective:To investigate morphological risk factors of basilar aneurysm rupture based on computer tomography angiography(CTA)parameters.Materials and methods:The clinical and CTA data of 43 patients with basilar aneurysm admitted to Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital from January 2015 to July 2023 were analyzed.The patients were divided into“ruptured group”and“unruptured group,”and the morphological parameters of aneurysms were measured.The general data and morphological parameters between the two groups were statistically analyzed.Logistic regression was used to analyzed statistically significant parameters,and the receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn to evaluate its diagnostic effectiveness.Results:Irregular aneurysms were more likely to rupture than regular aneurysms(χ^(2)=13.971,P<0.05).The maximum diameter(4.92[3.37-6.94]mm),length-width ratio(1.31[1.14-1.55]),height(4.08[2.71-5.34]mm),aspect ratio(0.99[0.84-1.45]),and inflow angle(133.63±11.21°)of aneurysms in the ruptured group were larger than the unruptured group,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Binary logistic regression showed that aneurysm shape(OR=39.347,P=0.021),length-width ratio(OR=313.062,P=0.033),and inflow angle(OR=1.156,P=0.004)were independent risk factors for rupture.The area under the curve were 0.809,0.842.and 0.894,respectively.Conclusion:Aneurysm shape,aspect ratio,and blood flow incidence angle are independent risk factors for basilar aneurysm rupture,which means that they can be used to predict the risk of rupture to a certain extent.

Comparative metabolic analysis and antioxidant properties of purple and white wheat grains:implications for developing functional wheat varieties

Objectives:Pigmented wheat has garnered increased attention due to its elevated antioxidant activity.This study aimed to compare the metabolic components and antioxidant properties of purple and white wheat grains.Materials and Methods:Metabolic analysis identified a total of 405 secondary metabolites using three extraction methods:free,acid,and alkali hydrolysis.Results:The results revealed that,compared with white wheat,purple wheat exhibited significantly higher levels of total polyphenols,total flavonoids,and antioxidant activity.Notably,there were substantial variations in 90,80,and 73 secondary metabolites between white and purple wheat under the respective extraction methods.The contents of hispidulin-8-C-(2ʹʹ-O-glucosyl)glucoside,hispidulin-8-C-glucoside,diosmetin6-C-glucoside,and scoparin decreased across all groups,while the contents of peonidin-3-O-glucoside,keracyanin,kuromanin cyanidin-3-Oglucoside,and cyanidin-3-O-(6ʹʹ-O-malonyl)glucoside increased.Conclusions:These findings suggest that pathways associated with anthocyanin,flavone,and flavonol biosynthesis were influenced.Furthermore,each extraction method revealed distinct secondary metabolites.Acid and alkali hydrolysis upregulated 16 and 3 metabolites in purple wheat,and 20 and 3 metabolites in white wheat,respectively.Acid and alkaline hydrolysis also identified indole-3-carboxylic acid,vanillic acid,pyridoxine,and other metabolites with antioxidant and antihypertensive effects in both white and purple wheat.This indicates that acid and alkaline hydrolysis can dissociate a greater variety and quantity of differential metabolites.These findings offer valuable insights for breeders seeking to develop wheat varieties with enhanced functional nutritional value.

Whole-Genome Resequencing of a Worldwide Collection of Rapeseed Accessions Reveals the Genetic Basis of Ecotype Divergence

Rapeseed (Brassica napus),an important oilseed crop,has adapted to diverse climate zones and latitudes by forming three main ecotype groups,namely winter,semiwinter,and spring types. However,genetic variations underlying the divergence of these ecotypes are largely unknown. Here,we report the global pattern of genetic polymorphisms in rapeseed determined by resequencing a worldwide collection of 991 germplasm accessions.A total of 5.56 and 5.53 million singlenucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)as Well as 1.86 and 1.92 million InDels were identified by mapping reads to the reference genomes of "Darmor-bzh"and "Tapidor,"respectively.We generated a map of allelic drift paths that shows splits and mixtures of the main populations,and revealed an asymmetric evolution of the two subgenomes of B.napus by calculating the genetic diversity and linkage disequilibrium parameters.Selective-sweep analysis revealed genetic changes in genes orthologous to those regulating various aspects of plant development and response to stresses.A genome-wide association study identified SNPs in the promoter regions of FLOWERING LOCUS T and FLOWERING LOCUS C orthologs that corresponded to the different rapeseed ecotype groups. Our study provides important insights into the genomic footprints of rapeseed evolution and flowering-time divergence among three ecotype groups,and will facilitate screening of molecular markers for accelerating rapeseed breeding.

Near-resonance enhanced label-free stimulated Raman scattering microscopy with spatial resolution near 130 nm

High-resolution optical microscopes that can break 180 nm in spatial resolution set to conventional microscopies are much-needed tools.However,current optical microscopes have to rely on exogenous fluorescent labels to achieve high resolution in biological imaging.Herein,we report near-resonance enhanced label-free stimulated Raman scattering(SRS)microscopy with a lateral resolution near 130 nm,in which the high-resolution image contrast originates directly from a low concentration of endogenous biomolecules,with sensitivity gains of approximately 23 times.Moreover,by using a 0.3-m-long optical fiber,we developed hyperspectral SRS microscopy based on spectral focusing technology.Attributed to enhancements in spatial resolution and sensitivity,we demonstrated highresolution imaging of three-dimensional structures in single cells and high-resolution mapping of large-scale intact mouse brain tissues in situ.By using enhanced high-resolution hyperspectral SRS,we chemically observed sphingomyelin distributed in the myelin sheath that insulates single axons.Our concept opens the door to biomedical imaging with~130 nm resolution.

MRI detection of endolymphatic hydrops in Meniere's disease in 8 minutes using MIIRMR and a 20-channel coil after targeted gadolinium delivery

Background:Endolymphatic hydrops(EH)become visible in vertigo patients,particularly in those with Meniere's disease(MD),in vivo using gadolinium-enhanced MRI.However,the image quality is not satisfying after intravenous injection of gadolinium chelate(GdC),and occasional failure in GdC uptake has been noticed after traditional intratympanic injection.In the present report,targeted delivery of GdC and using a cost-effective MRI system to obtain high quality images of EH in only 8 min will be fntroduced.Methods:39 MD patients were recruited in the study.First,0.1 ml of 20-fold diluted gadolinium-diethylenetriamine acid(Gd-DTPA)was delivered onto the posterior upper part of the tympanic medial wall using a soft-tipped micro-irrigation catheter through an artificially perforated tympanic membrane.Inner ear MRI was performed 24 h after Gd-DTPA administration using a 3T MR machine and a 20-channel head/neck coil with an 8 min sequence of medium inversion time inversion recovery imaging with magnitude reconstruction(MIIRMR).The parameters were as follows:TR 16000 ms,TE 663 ms,inversion time 2700 ms,flip angle 180°,slices per slab 60.Results:Efficient inner ear uptake of Gd-DTPA was detected 24 h after delivery and it created excellent contrast in the inner ear of all cases.High quality images demonstrating EH in the vestibule and cochlea were obtained.Conclusion:Targeted delivery of minimum Gd-DTPA(0.1 ml,20-fold dilution)onto the posterior upper portion of the tympanic medial wall and MRI with MIIRMR in a 3T machine and 20-channel head/neck coil are clinically practical to obtain high quality images displaying EH.

Post-combustion slipstream CO_(2)-capture test facility at Jiangyou Power Plant,Sichuan,China:facility design and validation using 30% wt monoethanolamine(MEA)testing

Given the dominant share of coal in China’s energy-generation mix and the fact that>50% of the power plants in the country are currently<15 years old,efforts to significantly reduce China’s CO_(2) footprint will require the deployment of CO_(2) capture across at least part of its fleet of coal-fired power plants.CO_(2)-capture technology is reaching commercial maturity,but it is still necessary to adapt the technology to regional conditions,such as power-plant design and flexible operation in the China context.Slipstream facilities provide valuable field data to support the commercialization of CO_(2) capture.We have built a slipstream facility at Jiangyou power plant in Sichuan that will allow us to explore China-relevant issues,especially flexible operation,over the next few years.We plan to share our results with the broader CO_(2)-capture and CO_(2)-storage(CCS)community to accelerate the deployment of CCS in China.This paper describes the design of the slipstream facility and presents results from our steady-state qualification tests using a well-studied benchmark solvent:30% wt monoethanolamine(MEA).The results from our MEA tests compare favorably to results reported from other slipstream-test facilities around the world,allowing us to commission our system and establish a reference baseline for future studies.

The genome and gene editing system of sea barleygrass provide a novel platform for cereal domestication and stress tolerance studies

The tribe Triticeae provides important staple cereal crops and contains elite wild species with wide geneticdiversity and high tolerance to abiotic stresses. Sea barleygrass (Hordeum marinum Huds.), a wildTriticeae species, thrives in saline marshlands and is well known for its high tolerance to salinity and waterlogging. Here, a 3.82-Gb high-quality reference genome of sea barleygrass is assembled de novo, with 3.69Gb (96.8%) of its sequences anchored onto seven chromosomes. In total, 41 045 high-confidence (HC)genes are annotated by homology, de novo prediction, and transcriptome analysis. Phylogenetics, nonsynonymous/synonymous mutation ratios (Ka/Ks), and transcriptomic and functional analyses provide genetic evidence for the divergence in morphology and salt tolerance among sea barleygrass, barley, andwheat. The large variation in post-domestication genes (e.g. IPA1 and MOC1) may cause interspecies differences in plant morphology. The extremely high salt tolerance of sea barleygrass is mainly attributed tolow Na+ uptake and root-to-shoot translocation, which are mainly controlled by SOS1, HKT, and NHX transporters. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing systems weredeveloped for sea barleygrass to promote its utilization for exploration and functional studies of hubgenes and for the genetic improvement of cereal crops.

Post-combustion slipstream CO_(2)-capture test facility at Jiangyou Power Plant, Sichuan, China: performance of a membrane separation module under dynamic power-plant operations

Membrane-based separation technologies have the potential to lower the cost of post-combustion CO_(2) capture from power-plant flue gases through reduced energy and capital costs relative to conventional solvent approaches.Studies have shown promise under controlled conditions,but there is a need for data on performance and reliability under field conditions.Coal-fired power plants in China operate in a dynamic manner,with increases and decreases in output causing changes in flue-gas composition.In this paper,we describe the first field test of a membrane-based post-combustion CO_(2)-capture system connected to a dynamically operating power plant in China.We report the performance of a Membrane Technology Research,Inc.(MTR)Polaris^(TM) membrane-based capture system over a range of plant operating loads ranging from 54%to 84%and conducted an operational stability test over a 168-h period during which the power plant was operating at an average load of 55%,but ramped as high as 79%and as low as 55%.Our results confirm the ability of a membrane capture system to operate effectively over a wide range of host-plant operating conditions,but also identity several issues related to plant integration,system control and resilience in the face of host-plant upsets that require attention as membrane separation systems move towards commercial use.