Integrated high-performance and accurate shaping technology of low-cost powder metallurgy titanium alloys: A comprehensive review

The practical engineering applications of powder metallurgy (PM) Ti alloys produced through cold compaction and pressure-less sintering are impeded by poor sintering densification, embrittlement caused by excessive O impurities, and severe sintering deforma-tion resulting from the use of heterogeneous powder mixtures. This review presents a summary of our previous work on addressing the above challenges. Initially, we proposed a novel strategy using reaction-induced liquid phases to enhance sintering densification. Near- complete density (relative density exceeding 99%) was achieved by applying the above strategy and newly developed sintering aids. By focusing on the O-induced embrittlement issue, we determined the onset dissolution temperature of oxide films in the Ti matrix. On the basis of this finding, we established a design criterion for effective O scavengers that require reaction with oxide films before their dissol-ution. Consequently, a ductile PM Ti alloy was successfully obtained by introducing 0.3wt% NdB6 as the O scavenger. Lastly, a powder- coating strategy was adopted to address the sintering deformation issue. The ultrafine size and shell-like distribution characteristics of coating particles ensured rapid dissolution and homogeneity in the Ti matrix, thereby facilitating linear shrinkage during sintering. As a result, geometrically complex Ti alloy parts with high dimensional accuracy were fabricated by using the coated powder. Our fundament-al findings and related technical achievements enabled the development of an integrated production technology for the high-performance and accurate shaping of low-cost PM Ti alloys. Additionally, the primary engineering applications and progress in the industrialization practice of our developed technology are introduced in this review.

Attack-Resilient Distributed Cooperative Control of Virtually Coupled High-Speed Trains via Topology Reconfiguration

Dear Editor,This letter addresses the resilient distributed cooperative control problem of a virtually coupled train convoy under stochastic disturbances and cyber attacks.The main purpose is to achieve distributed coordination of virtually coupled high-speed trains with the prescribed inter-train distance and same cruise velocity.

Dynamic Event-Triggered Scheduling and Platooning Control Co-Design for Automated Vehicles Over Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks

This paper deals with the co-design problem of event-triggered communication scheduling and platooning control over vehicular ad-hoc networks(VANETs)subject to finite communication resource.First,a unified model is presented to describe the coordinated platoon behavior of leader-follower vehicles in the simultaneous presence of unknown external disturbances and an unknown leader control input.Under such a platoon model,the central aim is to achieve robust platoon formation tracking with desired inter-vehicle spacing and same velocities and accelerations guided by the leader,while attaining improved communication efficiency.Toward this aim,a novel bandwidth-aware dynamic event-triggered scheduling mechanism is developed.One salient feature of the scheduling mechanism is that the threshold parameter in the triggering law is dynamically adjusted over time based on both vehicular state variations and bandwidth status.Then,a sufficient condition for platoon control system stability and performance analysis as well as a co-design criterion of the admissible event-triggered platooning control law and the desired scheduling mechanism are derived.Finally,simulation results are provided to substantiate the effectiveness and merits of the proposed co-design approach for guaranteeing a trade-off between robust platooning control performance and communication efficiency.

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of VvMLO3 results in enhanced resistance to powdery mildew in grapevine(Vitis vinifera)

Grapevine(Vitis vinifera),one of the most economically important fruit crops in the world,suffers significant yield losses from powdery mildew,a major fungal disease caused by Erysiphe necator.In addition to suppressing host immunity,phytopathogens modulate host proteins termed susceptibility(S)factors to promote their proliferation in plants.In this study,CRISPR/Cas9(clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated 9)technology was used to enable the targeted mutagenesis of MLO(mildew resistance Locus O)family genes that are thought to serve as S factors for powdery mildew fungi.Small deletions or insertions were induced in one or both alleles of two grapevine MLO genes,VvMLO3 and VvMLO4,in the transgenic plantlets of the powdery mildew-susceptible cultivar Thompson Seedless.The editing efficiency achieved with different CRISPR/Cas9 constructs varied from 0 to 38.5%.Among the 20 VvMLO3/4-edited lines obtained,one was homozygous for a single mutation,three harbored biallelic mutations,seven were heterozygous for the mutations,and nine were chimeric,as indicated by the presence of more than two mutated alleles in each line.Six of the 20 VvMLO3/4-edited grapevine lines showed normal growth,while the remaining lines exhibited senescence-like chlorosis and necrosis.Importantly,four VvMLO3-edited lines showed enhanced resistance to powdery mildew,which was associated with host cell death,cell wall apposition(CWA)and H2O2 accumulation.Taken together,our results demonstrate that CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing technology can be successfully used to induce targeted mutations in genes of interest to improve traits of economic importance,such as disease resistance in grapevines.

Citron C-05 inhibits both the penetration and colonization of Xanthomonas citri subsp.citri to achieve resistance to citrus canker disease

Citrus canker,caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp.citri(Xcc),is a serious bacterial disease that affects citrus production worldwide.Citron C-05(Citrus medica)is the only germplasm in the Citrus genus that has been identified to exhibit strong resistance to Xcc.However,it has not been determined when,where,and how Xcc is restricted in the tissues of Citron C-05 during the infection process.In the present study,we investigated the spatiotemporal growth dynamics of an eGFP-labeled virulent Xcc(eGFP-Xcc)strain in Citron C-05 along with five susceptible biotypes(i.e.,lemon,pummelo,sour orange,sweet orange,and ponkan mandarin)upon inoculation via the spraying or leaf infiltration of a bacterial suspension.The results from extensive confocal laser scanning microscopy analyses showed that while Xcc grew rapidly in plants of all five susceptible genotypes,Xcc was severely restricted in the epidermal and mesophyll cell layers of the leaves of Citron C-05 in the early stage of infection.Not surprisingly,resistance against Xcc in Citron C-05 was found to be associated with the production of reactive oxygen species and hypersensitive response-like cell death,as well as greater upregulation of several defense-related genes,including a pathogenesis-related gene(PR1)and a glutathione S-transferase gene(GST1),compared with sweet orange as a susceptible control.Taken together,our results not only provide further valuable details of the spatiotemporal dynamics of the host entry,propagation,and spread of Xcc in both resistant and susceptible citrus plants but also suggest that resistance to Xcc in Citron C-05 may be attributed to the activation of multiple defense mechanisms.

Natural Variation in CCD4 Promoter Underpins Species-Specific Evolution of Red Coloration in Citrus Peel

Carotenoids and apocarotenoids act as phytohormones and volatile precursors that influence plant development and confer aesthetic and nutritional value critical to consumer preference.Citrus fruits display considerable natural variation in carotenoid and apocarotenoid pigments.In this study,using an integrated genetic approach we revealed that a 5;c/s-regulatory change at CCD4b encoding CAROTENOID CLEAVAGE DIOXYGENASE 4b is a major genetic determinant of natural variation in C3 0 apocarotenoids responsible for red coloration of citrus peel.Functional analyses demonstrated that in addition the known role in synthesizing 3-citraurin,CCD4b is also responsible for the production of another important C3 0 apocarotenoid pigment,p-citraurinene.Furthermore,analyses of the CCD4b promoter and transcripts from various citrus germplasm accessions established a tight correlation between the presence of a putative 5'c/s-regulatory enhancer within an MITE transposon and the enhanced allelic expression of CCD4b in C3 0 apocarotenoid-rich red-peeled accessions.Phylogenetic analysis provided further evidence that functional diversification of CCD4b and naturally occurring variation of the CCD4b promoter resulted in the stepwise evolution of red peels in mandarins and their hybrids.Taken together,our findings provide new insights into the genetic and evolutionary basis of apocarotenoid diversity in plants,and would facilitate breeding efforts that aim to improve the nutritional and aesthetic value of citrus and perhaps other fruit crops.

ANNEXIN 8 negatively regulates RPW8.1-mediated cell death and disease resistance in Arabidopsis

Study on the regulation of broad-spectrum resistance is an active area in plant biology. RESISTANCE TO POWDERY MILDEW 8.1(RPW8.1)is one of a few broad-spectrum resistance genes triggering the hypersensitive response(HR) to restrict multiple pathogenic infections. To address the question how RPW8.1 signaling is regulated,we performed a genetic screen and tried to identify mutations enhancing RPW8.1-mediated HR.Here, we provided evidence to connect an annexin protein with RPW8.1-mediated resistance in Arabidopsis against powdery mildew. We isolated and characterized Arabidopsis b7-6 mutant.A point mutation in b7-6 at the At5 g12380 locus resulted in an amino acid substitution in ANNEXIN8(AtANN8). Loss-of-function or RNA-silencing of AtANN8 led to enhanced expression of RPW8.1,RPW8.1-dependent necrotic lesions in leaves, and defense against powdery mildew. Conversely,over-expression of AtANN8 compromised RPW8.1-mediated disease resistance and cell death. Interestingly, the mutation in AtANN8 enhanced RPW8.1-triggered H2O2. In addition, mutation in AtANN8 led to hypersensitivity to salt stress. Together, our data indicate that AtANN8 is involved in multiple stress signaling pathways and negatively regulates RPW8.1-mediated resistance against powdery mildew and cell death, thus linking ANNEXIN’s function with plant immunity.

Protein trafficking during plant innate immunity

Plants have evolved a sophisticated immune system to fight against pathogenic microbes. Upon detection of pathogen invasion by immune receptors, the immune system is turned on, resulting in production of antimicrobial molecules including pathogenesis-related（PR） proteins.Conceivably, an efficient immune response depends on the capacity of the plant cell＇s protein/membrane trafficking network to deploy the right defense-associated molecules in the right place at the right time. Recent research in this area shows that while the abundance of cell surface immune receptors is regulated by endocytosis, many intracellular immune receptors, when activated, are partitioned between the cytoplasm and the nucleus for induction of defense genes and activation of programmed cell death, respectively. Vesicle transport is an essential process for secretion of PR proteins to the apoplastic space and targeting of defense-related proteins to the plasma membrane or other endomembrane compartments. In this review, we discuss the various aspects of protein trafficking during plant immunity, with a focus on the immunity proteins on the move and the major components of the trafficking machineries engaged.

Construction of Highly Efficient Photocatalyst with Core-Shell Au@Ag/C@SiO_(2)Hybrid Structure towards Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Reduction

Main observation and conclusion Herein,we report a rational construction of Au@Ag/C@SiO_(2)system with Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles(NPs)as a promising photocatalyst based on the plasmonic coupling effect for the first time towards the photoreduction of nitroaromatic compounds under visible light.The combination and elaborate construction of Au@Ag NPs,carbon microspheres and mesoporous SiO_(2)shell can endow this system with several outstanding features towards photocatalytic reaction.Firstly,the broadband light harvesting across ultraviolet-visible-near infrared(UV-vis-NIR)region can be achieved due to the comprehensive effect of surface plasmonic resonance(SPR)coupling model of Au and Ag,near-field scattering light of carbon microspheres and light reflecting effect of SiO_(2)shell,resulting in the production of more electrons for phororeduction reaction.Secondly,the carbon microspheres in Au@Ag/C@SiO_(2)system possess electron-rich property due to their strong electron-withdrawing ability,which can act as the Lewis acid and Lewis basic site,and promote the stepwise hydrogenation of nitrobenzene.Thirdly,Au@Ag/C@SiO_(2)exhibits excellent reusability because of the protection of SiO_(2)shell,which restricts metal NPs inside the spheres and protects them from aggregation and being lost during reaction process.Our present work demonstrates the significance of construction of hybrid nanostructures based on the plasmonic coupling effect,which can be a promising approach to design efficient photocatalyst towards organic synthesis under visible light.