Zanthoxylum-specific whole genome duplication and recent activity of transposable elements in the highly repetitive paleotetraploid Z.bungeanum genome

Zanthoxylum bungeanum is an important spice and medicinal plant that is unique for its accumulation of abundant secondary metabolites,which create a characteristic aroma and tingling sensation in the mouth.Owing to the high proportion of repetitive sequences,high heterozygosity,and increased chromosome number of Z.bungeanum,the assembly of its chromosomal pseudomolecules is extremely challenging.Here,we present a genome sequence for Z.bungeanum,with a dramatically expanded size of 4.23 Gb,assembled into 68 chromosomes.This genome is approximately tenfold larger than that of its close relative Citrus sinensis.After the divergence of Zanthoxylum and Citrus,the lineage-specific whole-genome duplication event q-WGD approximately 26.8 million years ago(MYA)and the recent transposable element(TE)burst~6.41 MYA account for the substantial genome expansion in Z.bungeanum.The independent Zanthoxylum-specific WGD event was followed by numerous fusion/fission events that shaped the genomic architecture.Integrative genomic and transcriptomic analyses suggested that prominent speciesspecific gene family expansions and changes in gene expression have shaped the biosynthesis of sanshools,terpenoids,and anthocyanins,which contribute to the special flavor and appearance of Z.bungeanum.In summary,the reference genome provides a valuable model for studying the impact of WGDs with recent TE activity on gene gain and loss and genome reconstruction and provides resources to accelerate Zanthoxylum improvement.

Elastic Wave Scattering and Dynamic Stress Concentrations around Double Holes in Piezoelectric Media

In this paper, on the basis of Liu’s complex function and conformal mapping methods, supplemented by local coordinate system method, e-type piezoelectric material and elastic wave scattering and dynamic stress concentrations problems with double holes question are studied, and an analytical solution is given to the problems. On the basis of multiple scattering of elastic wave theory, put forward the study about microscopic dynamics model to dynamic stress in the structure of piezoelectric composites as well as dynamic playing field. As an example, the numerical results of the dynamic stress distribution around the hole in case double equal diameter holes are given in the paper, and the influence of incident wave number and hole-spacing parameters on the dynamic stress concentration factor is analyzed.

Using Refined Theory to Studied Elastic Wave Scattering and Dynamic Stress Concentrations in Plates with Two Cutouts

In this paper, based on complex variables and conformal mapping methods, using the refined dynamic equation of plates, elastic wave scattering and dynamic stress concentrations in plates with two cutouts were studied. Applying the orthogonal function expansion method, the problem to be solved can be reduced into the solution of a set of infinite algebraic equations. According to free boundary conditions, numerical results of dynamic moment concentration factors in thick plates with two circular cutouts analyze that: there will be more complex interaction changes between two-cutout situation than single cutout situation. In the case of low frequency or high frequency and thin plate, the hole-spacing in the absence of coupling interactions was larger or smaller. The numerical results and method can be used to analyze the dynamics and strength of plate-like structures.

Normobaric oxygen for cerebral ischemic injury

Oxygen inhalation has been shown to increase oxygen supply to tissues after cerebral ischemia/ reperfusion injury, protecting injured neural cells. However, hyperbaric oxygen may aggravate oxi- dative stress. By contrast, normobaric oxygen has the rapid and non-invasive characteristics and may have therapeutic effects on ischemic/hypoxic disease. Rats inhaled normobaric oxygen （95% 02） for 6 consecutive days, and then a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia was established. Nisst and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining revealed that normobaric oxygen pretreat- ment improved neurological deficits and reduced infarct volume. Immunohistochemical staining and western blot assay revealed that the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-la, Notch-l, vascular endothelial growth factor and erythropoietin were increased. Behavioral studies also verified that neurological deficit scores increased. The hypoxia-inducible factor inhibitor 2-methoxyestradiol treatment at 1 hour before administration of normobaric oxygen could suppress the protective effect of normobaric oxygen. Given these observations, normobaric oxygen pretreatment may alleviate cerebral ischemic injury via the hypoxia-inducible factor signal pathway.

High strength mullite-bond SiC porous ceramics fabricated by digital light processing

Fabricating SiC ceramics via the digital light processing(DLP)technology is of great challenge due to strong light absorption and high refractive index of deep-colored SiC powders,which highly differ from those of resin,and thus significantly affect the curing performance of the photosensitive SiC slurry.In this paper,a thin silicon oxide(SiO_(2))layer was in-situ formed on the surface of SiC powders by pre-oxidation treatment.This method was proven to effectively improve the curing ability of SiC slurry.The SiC photosensitive slurry was fabricated with solid content of 55 vol%and viscosity of 7.77 Pa·s(shear rate of 30 s^(−1)).The curing thickness was 50μm with exposure time of only 5 s.Then,a well-designed sintering additive was added to completely convert low-strength SiO_(2) into mullite reinforcement during sintering.Complexshaped mullite-bond SiC ceramics were successfully fabricated.The flexural strength of SiC ceramics sintered at 1550℃in air reached 97.6 MPa with porosity of 39.2 vol%,as high as those prepared by spark plasma sintering(SPS)techniques.

Simulation Analysis on Temperature Field and Temperature Stress of Flexible Pavement in Cold Areas

In order to ensure the service life of pavement in cold areas, this paper simulates the temperature field and stress field of pavement at high temperature of 60˚C and low temperature of -30˚C based on ANSYS software, and analyzes the changing trend of temperature of each layer with time and the temperature stress caused by it using the time-incremental finite element method. The results show that when the temperature is higher than 0˚C, the temperature between layers of the structure and the surface temperature shows an increasing trend. On the contrary, when the temperature is lower than 0˚C, it shows a decreasing trend. The more drastic the temperature change is, the greater the temperature stress of the pavement will be, which is easy to cause road structure diseases. When the temperature difference of pavement reaches 90˚C, the change of temperature stress between layers of road structure has a significant effect on the daily evolution of pavement.

Chromosome-level genome of Himalayan yew provides insights into the origin and evolution of the paclitaxel biosynthetic pathway

Taxus,commonly known as yew,is a well-known gymnosperm with great ornamental and medicinal value.In this study,by assembling a chromosome-level genome of the Himalayan yew(Taxus wallichiana)with 10.9 Gb in 12 chromosomes,we revealed that tandem duplication acts as the driving force of gene family evolution in the yew genome,resulting in the main genes for paclitaxel biosynthesis,i.e.those encoding the taxadiene synthase,P450s,and transferases,being clustered on the same chromosome.The tandem duplication may also provide genetic resources for the nature to sculpt the core structure of taxoids at different positions and subsequently establish the complex pathway of paclitaxel by neofunctionalization.Furthermore,we confirmed that there are two genes in the cluster encoding isoenzymes of a known enzyme in the paclitaxel biosynthetic pathway.The reference genome of the Himalayan yew will serve as a platform for decoding the complete biosynthetic pathway of paclitaxel and understanding the chemodi-versity of taxoids in gymnosperms.

Hierarchical porous onion-shaped LiMn204 as cathode material for lithium ion batteries

Spinel niMn2O4 is a widely utilized cathode material for Li-ion batteries. However, its applications are limited by its poor energy density and power density. Herein, a novel hierarchical porous onion-like LiMn204 （LMO） was prepared to shorten the Li diffusion pathway with the presence of uniform pores and nanosized primary particles. The growth mechanism of the porous onion-like LiMn204 was analyzed to control the morphology and the crystal structure so that it forms a polyhedral crystal structure with reduced Mn dissolution. In addition, graphene was added to the cathode （LiMn2Odgraphene） to enhance the electronic conductivity. The synthesized LiMn2O4/graphene exhibited an ultrahigh-rate performance of 110.4 rnAh.g-1 at 50 C and an outstanding energy density at a high power density maintaining 379.4 Wh.kg-1 at 25,293 W.kg-L Besides, it shows durable stability, with only 0.02% decrease in the capacity per cycle at 10 C. Furthermore, the （LiMn2O4/graphene）/graphite full-cell exhibited a high discharge capacity. This work provides a promising method for the preparation of outstanding, integrated cathodes for potential applications in lithium ion batteries.

Hard nanocrystalline gold materials prepared via high-pressure phase transformation

As one of the important materials,nanocrystalline Au(n-Au)has gained numerous interests in recent decades owing to its unique properties and promising applications.However,most of the current n-Au thin films are supported on substrates,limiting the study on their mechanical properties and applications.Therefore,it is urgently desired to develop a new strategy to prepare nAu materials with superior mechanical strength and hardness.Here,a hard n-Au material with an average grain size of~40 nm is prepared by cold-forging of the unique Au nanoribbons(NRBs)with unconventional 4H phase under high pressure.Systematic characterizations reveal the phase transformation from 4H to face-centered cubic(fcc)phase during the cold compression.Impressively,the compressive yield strength and Vickers hardness(HV)of the prepared n-Au material reach~140.2 MPa and~1.0 GPa,which are 4.2 and 2.2 times of the microcrystalline Au foil,respectively.This work demonstrates that the combination of high-pressure cold-forging and the in-situ 4H-to-fcc phase transformation can effectively inhibit the grain growth in the obtained n-Au materials,leading to the formation of novel hard n-Au materials.Our strategy opens up a new avenue for the preparation of nanocrystalline metals with superior mechanical property.

Heat-treated glassy carbon under pressure exhibiting superior hardness,strength and elasticity

Glassy carbon(GC)is a type of non-graphitizing disordered carbon material at ambient pressure and high temperatures,which has been widely used due to its excellent mechanical properties.Here we report the changes in the microstructure and mechanical properties of GC treated at high pressures(up to 5 GPa)and high temperatures.The formation of intermediate sp2-sp3 phases is identified at moderate treatment temperatures before the complete graphitization of GC,by analyzing synchrotron X-ray diffraction,Raman spectra,and transmission electron microscopy images.The intermediate metastable carbon materials exhibit superior mechanical properties with hardness reaching up to 10 GPa and compressive strength reaching as high as 2.5 GPa,nearly doubling those of raw GC,and improving elasticity and thermal stability.The synthesis pressure used in this study can be achieved in the industry on a commercial scale,enabling the scalable synthesis of this type of strong,hard,and elastic carbon materials.