Manure substitution improves maize yield by promoting soil fertility and mediating the microbial community in lime concretion black soil

Synthetic nitrogen(N)fertilizer has made a great contribution to the improvement of soil fertility and productivity,but excessive application of synthetic N fertilizer may cause agroecosystem risks,such as soil acidification,groundwater contamination and biodiversity reduction.Meanwhile,organic substitution has received increasing attention for its ecologically and environmentally friendly and productivity benefits.However,the linkages between manure substitution,crop yield and the underlying microbial mechanisms remain uncertain.To bridge this gap,a three-year field experiment was conducted with five fertilization regimes:i)Control,non-fertilization;CF,conventional synthetic fertilizer application;CF_(1/2)M_(1/2),1/2 N input via synthetic fertilizer and 1/2 N input via manure;CF_(1/4)M_(3/4),1/4 N input synthetic fertilizer and 3/4 N input via manure;M,manure application.All fertilization treatments were designed to have equal N input.Our results showed that all manure substituted treatments achieved high soil fertility indexes(SFI)and productivities by increasing the soil organic carbon(SOC),total N(TN)and available phosphorus(AP)concentrations,and by altering the bacterial community diversity and composition compared with CF.SOC,AP,and the soil C:N ratio were mainly responsible for microbial community variations.The co-occurrence network revealed that SOC and AP had strong positive associations with Rhodospirillales and Burkholderiales,while TN and C:N ratio had positive and negative associations with Micromonosporaceae,respectively.These specific taxa are implicated in soil macroelement turnover.Random Forest analysis predicted that both biotic(bacterial composition and Micromonosporaceae)and abiotic(AP,SOC,SFI,and TN)factors had significant effects on crop yield.The present work strengthens our understanding of the effects of manure substitution on crop yield and provides theoretical support for optimizing fertilization strategies.

Synthesis and Modulation of Low-Dimensional Transition Metal Chalcogenide Materials via Atomic Substitution

In recent years,low-dimensional transition metal chalcogenide(TMC)materials have garnered growing research attention due to their superior electronic,optical,and catalytic properties compared to their bulk counterparts.The controllable synthesis and manipulation of these materials are crucial for tailoring their properties and unlocking their full potential in various applications.In this context,the atomic substitution method has emerged as a favorable approach.It involves the replacement of specific atoms within TMC structures with other elements and possesses the capability to regulate the compositions finely,crystal structures,and inherent properties of the resulting materials.In this review,we present a comprehensive overview on various strategies of atomic substitution employed in the synthesis of zero-dimensional,one-dimensional and two-dimensional TMC materials.The effects of substituting elements,substitution ratios,and substitution positions on the structures and morphologies of resulting material are discussed.The enhanced electrocatalytic performance and photovoltaic properties of the obtained materials are also provided,emphasizing the role of atomic substitution in achieving these advancements.Finally,challenges and future prospects in the field of atomic substitution for fabricating low-dimensional TMC materials are summarized.

Atom substitution of the solid-state electrolyte Li_(10)GeP_(2)S_(12)for stabilized all-solid-state lithium metal batteries

Solid-state electrolyte Li_(10)GeP_(2)S_(12)(LGPS)has a high lithium ion conductivity of 12 mS cm^(-1)at room temperature,but its inferior chemical stability against lithium metal anode impedes its practical application.Among all solutions,Ge atom substitution of the solid-state electrolyte LGPS stands out as the most promising solution to this interface problem.A systematic screening framework for Ge atom substitution including ionic conductivity,thermodynamic stability,electronic and mechanical properties is utilized to solve it.For fast screening,an enhanced model Dop Net FC using chemical formulas for the dataset is adopted to predict ionic conductivity.Finally,Li_(10)SrP_(2)S_(12)(LSrPS)is screened out,which has high lithium ion conductivity(12.58 mS cm^(-1)).In addition,an enhanced migration of lithium ion across the LSr PS/Li interface is found.Meanwhile,compared to the LGPS/Li interface,LSrPS/Li interface exhibits a larger Schottky barrier(0.134 eV),smaller electron transfer region(3.103?),and enhanced ability to block additional electrons,all of which contribute to the stabilized interface.The applied theoretical atom substitution screening framework with the aid of machine learning can be extended to rapid determination of modified specific material schemes.

Spray pyrolysis feasibility of tungsten substitution for cobalt in nickel-rich cathode materials

Cobalt(Co)serves as a stabilizer in the lattice structure of high-capacity nickel(Ni)-rich cathode materials.However,its high cost and toxicity still limit its development.In general,it is possible to perform transition metal substitution to reduce the Co content.However,the traditional coprecipitation method cannot satisfy the requirements of multielement coprecipitation and uniform distribution of elements due to the differences between element concentration and deposition rate.In this work,spray pyrolysis was used to prepare LiNi_(0.9)Co_(0.1-x)W_(x)O_(2)(LNCW).In this regard,the pyrolysis behavior of ammonium metatungstate was analyzed,together with the substitu-tion of W for Co.With the possibility of spray pyrolysis,the Ni-Co-W-containing oxide precursor presents a homogeneous distribution of metal elements,which is beneficial for the uniform substitution of W in the final materials.It was observed that with W substitution,the size of primary particles decreased from 338.06 to 71.76 nm,and cation disordering was as low as 3.34%.As a consequence,the pre-pared LNCW exhibited significantly improved electrochemical performance.Under optimal conditions,the lithium-ion battery assembled with LiNi_(0.9)Co_(0.0925)W_(0.0075)O_(2)(LNCW-0.75mol%)had an improved capacity retention of 82.7%after 200 cycles,which provides insight in-to the development of Ni-rich low-Co materials.This work presents that W can compensate for the loss caused by Co deficiency to a cer-tain extent.

Quantitative lithium substitution of carboxyl hydrogens in polyacrylic acid binder enables robust SiO electrodes with durable lithium storage stability

The design of advanced binders plays a critical role in stabilizing the cycling performance of large-volume-effect silicon monoxide(SiO)anodes.For the classic polyacrylic acid(PAA)binder,the self-association of-COOH groups in PAA leads to the formation of intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonds,greatly weakening the bonding force of the binder to SiO surface.However,strengthening the binder-material interaction from the perspective of binder molecular regulation poses a significant challenge.Herein,a modified PAA-Li_(x)(0.25≤x≤1)binder with prominent mechanical properties and adhesion strength is specifically synthesized for SiO anodes by quantitatively substituting the carboxylic hydrogen with lithium.The appropriate lithium substitution(x=0.25)not only effectively increases the number of hydrogen bonds between the PAA binder and SiO surface owing to charge repulsion effect between ions,but also guarantees moderate entanglement between PAA-Li_x molecular chains through the ion-dipole interaction.As such,the PAA-Li_(0.25)/SiO electrode exhibits exceptional mechanical properties and the lowest volume change,as well as the optimum cycling(1237.3 mA h g^(-1)after 100cycles at 0.1 C)and rate performance(1000.6 mA h g^(-1)at 1 C),significantly outperforming the electrode using pristine PAA binder.This work paves the way for quantitative regulation of binders at the molecular level.

Atomically Substitutional Engineering of Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Layers for Enhancing Tailored Properties and Superior Applications

Transition metal dichalcogenides(TMDs)are a promising class of layered materials in the post-graphene era,with extensive research attention due to their diverse alternative elements and fascinating semiconductor behavior.Binary MX2 layers with different metal and/or chalcogen elements have similar structural parameters but varied optoelectronic properties,providing opportunities for atomically substitutional engineering via partial alteration of metal or/and chalcogenide atoms to produce ternary or quaternary TMDs.The resulting multinary TMD layers still maintain structural integrity and homogeneity while achieving tunable(opto)electronic properties across a full range of composition with arbitrary ratios of introduced metal or chalcogen to original counterparts(0–100%).Atomic substitution in TMD layers offers new adjustable degrees of freedom for tailoring crystal phase,band alignment/structure,carrier density,and surface reactive activity,enabling novel and promising applications.This review comprehensively elaborates on atomically substitutional engineering in TMD layers,including theoretical foundations,synthetic strategies,tailored properties,and superior applications.The emerging type of ternary TMDs,Janus TMDs,is presented specifically to highlight their typical compounds,fabrication methods,and potential applications.Finally,opportunities and challenges for further development of multinary TMDs are envisioned to expedite the evolution of this pivotal field.

Impact of Co^(2+)substitution on structure and magnetic properties of M-type strontium ferrite with different Fe/Sr ratios

Ion substitution has significantly improved the performance of ferrite magnets,and cobalt remains a key area of research.Studies on the mechanism of Co^(2+)in strontium ferrite,especially SrFe_(2n-x)Co_(x)O_(19-d)(n=6.1-5.4;x=0.05-0.20)synthesized using the ceramic method,showed that Co^(2+)preferentially enters the lattice as the Fe/Sr ratio decreases.This results in a decrease in the lattice constants a and c due to oxygen vacancies and iron ion deficiency.The impact of Co substitution on morphology is minor compared to the effect of the Fe/Sr ratio.As the Fe/Sr ratio decreases and the Co content increases,the saturation magnetization decreases.The magnetic anisotropy field exhibits a nonlinear change,generally increasing with higher Fe/Sr ratios and Co content.These changes in the performance of permanent magnets are attributed to the absence of Fe^(3+)ions at the 12k+2a and 2b sites and the substitution of Co^(2+)at the 2b site.This suggests that by adjusting the Fe/Sr ratio and appropriate Co substitution,the magnetic anisotropy field of M-type strontium ferrite can be effectively optimized.

Effects of long-term partial substitution of inorganic fertilizer with pig manure and/or straw on nitrogen fractions and microbiological properties in greenhouse vegetable soils

Partial substitution of inorganic fertilizers with organic amendments is an important agricultural management practice.An 11-year field experiment(22 cropping periods)was carried out to analyze the impacts of different partial substitution treatments on crop yields and the transformation of nitrogen fractions in greenhouse vegetable soil.Four treatments with equal N,P_(2)O_(5),and K_(2)O inputs were selected,including complete inorganic fertilizer N(CN),50%inorganic fertilizer N plus 50%pig manure N(CPN),50%inorganic fertilizer N plus 25%pig manure N and 25%corn straw N(CPSN),and 50%inorganic fertilizer N plus 50%corn straw N(CSN).Organic substitution treatments tended to increase crop yields since the 6th cropping period compared to the CN treatment.From the 8th to the 22nd cropping periods,the highest yields were observed in the CPSN treatment where yields were 7.5-11.1%greater than in CN treatment.After 11-year fertilization,compared to CN,organic substitution treatments significantly increased the concentrations of NO_(3)^(-)-N,NH_(4)^(+)-N,acid hydrolysis ammonium-N(AHAN),amino acid-N(AAN),amino sugar-N(ASN),and acid hydrolysis unknown-N(AHUN)in soil by 45.0-69.4,32.8-58.1,49.3-66.6,62.0-69.5,34.5-100.3,and 109.2-172.9%,respectively.Redundancy analysis indicated that soil C/N and OC concentration significantly affected the distribution of N fractions.The highest concentrations of NO_(3)^(-)-N,AHAN,AAN,AHUN were found in the CPSN treatment.Organic substitution treatments increased the activities ofβ-glucosidase,β-cellobiosidase,N-acetyl-glucosamidase,L-aminopeptidase,and phosphatase in the soil.Organic substitution treatments reduced vector length and increased vector angle,indicating alleviation of constraints of C and N on soil microorganisms.Organic substitution treatments increased the total concentrations of phospholipid fatty acids(PLFAs)in the soil by 109.9-205.3%,and increased the relative abundance of G^(+)bacteria and fungi taxa,but decreased the relative abundance of G-bacteria,total bacteria,and actinomycetes.Overall,long-term organic substitution management increased soil OC concentration,C/N,and the microbial population,the latter in turn positively influenced soil enzyme activity.Enhanced microorganism numbers and enzyme activity enhanced soil N sequestration by transforming inorganic N to acid hydrolysis-N(AHN),and enhanced soil N supply capacity by activating non-acid hydrolysis-N(NAHN)to AHN,thus improving vegetable yield.Application of inorganic fertilizer,manure,and straw was a more effective fertilization model for achieving sustainable greenhouse vegetable production than application of inorganic fertilizer alone.

Mitigation of N_(2)O emissions in water-saving paddy fields:Evaluating organic fertilizer substitution and microbial mechanisms

Water-saving irrigation strategies can successfully alleviate methane emissions from rice fields,but significantly stimulate nitrous oxide(N_(2)O)emissions because of variations in soil oxygen level and redox potential.However,the relationship linking soil N_(2)O emissions to nitrogen functional genes during various fertilization treatments in water-saving paddy fields has rarely been investigated.Furthermore,the mitigation potential of organic fertilizer substitution on N_(2)O emissions and the microbial mechanism in rice fields must be further elucidated.Our study examined how soil N_(2)O emissions were affected by related functional microorganisms(ammonia-oxidizing archaea(AOA),ammonia-oxidizing bacteria(AOB),nirS,nirK and nosZ)to various fertilization treatments in a rice field in southeast China over two years.In this study,three fertilization regimes were applied to rice cultivation:a no nitrogen(N)(Control),an inorganic N(Ni),and an inorganic N with partial N substitution with organic manure(N_(i)+N_(o)).Over two rice-growing seasons,cumulative N_(2)O emissions averaged 0.47,4.62 and 4.08 kg ha^(−1)for the Control,Ni and N_(i)+N_(o)treatments,respectively.In comparison to the Ni treatment,the N_(i)+N_(o)fertilization regime considerably reduced soil N_(2)O emissions by 11.6%while maintaining rice yield,with a lower N_(2)O emission factor(EF)from fertilizer N of 0.95%.Nitrogen fertilization considerably raised the AOB,nirS,nirK and nosZ gene abundances,in comparison to the Control treatment.Moreover,the substitution of organic manure for inorganic N fertilizer significantly decreased AOB and nirS gene abundances and increased nosZ gene abundance.The AOB responded to N fertilization more sensitively than the AOA.Total N_(2)O emissions significantly correlated positively with AOB and nirS gene abundances while having a negative correlation with nosZ gene abundance and the nosZ/nirS ratio across N-fertilized plots.In summary,we conclude that organic manure substitution for inorganic N fertilizer decreased soil N_(2)O emissions primarily by changing the soil NO_(3)^(−)-N,pH and DOC levels,thus inhibiting the activities of ammonia oxidation in nitrification and nitrite reduction in denitrification,and strengthening N_(2)O reduction in denitrification from water-saving rice paddies.

Atomic Ni directional-substitution on ZnIn_(2)S_(4) nanosheet to achieve the equilibrium of elevated redox capacity and efficient carrier-kinetics performance in photocatalysis

It is a challenge to coordinate carrier-kinetics performance and the redox capacity of photogenerated charges synchronously at the atomic level for boosting photocatalytic activity.Herein,the atomic Ni was introduced into the lattice of hexagonal ZnIn_(2)S_(4) nanosheets(Ni/ZnIn_(2)S_(4))via directionalsubstituting Zn atom with the facile hydrothermal method.The electronic structure calculations indicate that the introduction of Ni atom effectively extracts more electrons and acts as active site for subsequent reduction reaction.Besides the optimized light absorption range,the elevation of Efand ECBendows Ni/ZnIn_(2)S_(4) photocatalyst with the increased electron concentration and the enhanced reduction ability for surface reaction.Moreover,ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy,as well as a series of electrochemical tests,demonstrates that Ni/ZnIn_(2)S_(4) possesses 2.15 times longer lifetime of the excited charge carriers and an order of magnitude increase for carrier mobility and separation efficiency compared with pristine ZnIn_(2)S_(4).These efficient kinetics performances of charge carriers and enhanced redox capacity synergistically boost photocatalytic activity,in which a 3-times higher conversion efficiency of nitrobenzene reduction was achieved upon Ni/ZnIn_(2)S_(4).Our study not only provides in-depth insights into the effect of atomic directional-substitution on the kinetic behavior of photogenerated charges,but also opens an avenue to the synchronous optimization of redox capacity and carrier-kinetics performance for efficient solar energy conversion.

Design of low-alloying and high-performance solid solution-strengthened copper alloys with element substitution for sustainable development

Solid solution-strengthened copper alloys have the advantages of a simple composition and manufacturing process,high mechanical and electrical comprehensive performances,and low cost;thus,they are widely used in high-speed rail contact wires,electronic component connectors,and other devices.Overcoming the contradiction between low alloying and high performance is an important challenge in the development of solid solution-strengthened copper alloys.Taking the typical solid solution-strengthened alloy Cu-4Zn-1Sn as the research object,we proposed using the element In to replace Zn and Sn to achieve low alloying in this work.Two new alloys,Cu-1.5Zn-1Sn-0.4In and Cu-1.5Zn-0.9Sn-0.6In,were designed and prepared.The total weight percentage content of alloying elements decreased by 43%and 41%,respectively,while the product of ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and electrical conductivity(EC)of the annealed state increased by 14%and 15%.After cold rolling with a 90%reduction,the UTS of the two new alloys reached 576 and 627MPa,respectively,the EC was 44.9%IACS and 42.0%IACS,and the product of UTS and EC(UTS×EC)was 97%and 99%higher than that of the annealed state alloy.The dislocations proliferated greatly in cold-rolled alloys,and the strengthening effects of dislocations reached 332 and 356 MPa,respectively,which is the main reason for the considerable improvement in mechanical properties.

Effect of Rare-Earth Element Substitution in Superconducting R_(3)Ni_(2)O_(7) under Pressure

Recently,high temperature(T_(c)≈80 K)superconductivity(SC)has been discovered in La_(3)Ni_(2)O_(7)(LNO)under pressure.This raises the question of whether the superconducting transition temperature T_(c) could be further enhanced under suitable conditions.One possible route for achieving higher T_(c) is element substitution.Similar SC could appear in the Fmmm phase of rare-earth(RE)R_(3)Ni_(2)O_(7)(RNO,R=RE element)material series under suitable pressure.The electronic properties in the RNO materials are dominated by the Ni 3d orbitals in the bilayer NiO_(2) plane.In the strong coupling limit,the SC could be fully characterized by a bilayer single 3d_(x^(2)−y^(2))-orbital t–J‖–J⊥ model.With RE element substitution from La to other RE element,the lattice constant of the Fmmm RNO material decreases,and the resultant electronic hopping integral increases,leading to stronger superexchanges between the 3d_(x^(2)−y^(2)) orbitals.Based on the slave-boson mean-field theory,we explore the pairing nature and the evolution of T_(c) in RNO materials under pressure.Consequently,it is found that the element substitution does not alter the pairing nature,i.e.,the inter-layer s-wave pairing is always favored in the superconducting RNO under pressure.However,the T_(c) increases from La to Sm,and a nearly doubled T_(c) could be realized in SmNO under pressure.This work provides evidence for possible higher T_(c) R_(3)Ni_(2)O_(7) materials,which may be realized in further experiments.

Development and characterization of wheat–Aegilops kotschyi 1U^(k)(1A)substitution line with positive dough quality parameters

Exploring novel high molecular weight glutenin subunits(HMW-GSs)from wild related species is a strategy to improve wheat processing quality.The objective of the present investigation was to identify the chromosomes of the wheatalien introgression line N124,derived from the hybridization between Triticum aestivum with Aegilops kotschyi,and characterize the effects on quality-related traits.Fluorescence in situ hybridization karyotypes showed that N124 is a disomic 1U^(k)(1A)substitution line.Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE)and reversedphase high-performance liquid chromatography verified N124 expressed two HMW-GSs of the Ae.kotschyi parent.PacBio RNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the two HMW-GSs were U^(k)x and U^(k)y.Compared to the wheat parent,the substitution line had no obvious agronomic defects except fewer grains per spike but improved several major quality parameters.It can be served as a donor or bridge material for wheat quality improvement.

Securing Healthcare Data in IoMT Network Using Enhanced Chaos Based Substitution and Diffusion

Patient privacy and data protection have been crucial concerns in Ehealthcare systems for many years.In modern-day applications,patient data usually holds clinical imagery,records,and other medical details.Lately,the Internet of Medical Things(IoMT),equipped with cloud computing,has come out to be a beneficial paradigm in the healthcare field.However,the openness of networks and systems leads to security threats and illegal access.Therefore,reliable,fast,and robust security methods need to be developed to ensure the safe exchange of healthcare data generated from various image sensing and other IoMT-driven devices in the IoMT network.This paper presents an image protection scheme for healthcare applications to protect patients’medical image data exchanged in IoMT networks.The proposed security scheme depends on an enhanced 2D discrete chaotic map and allows dynamic substitution based on an optimized highly-nonlinear S-box and diffusion to gain an excellent security performance.The optimized S-box has an excellent nonlinearity score of 112.The new image protection scheme is efficient enough to exhibit correlation values less than 0.0022,entropy values higher than 7.999,and NPCR values around 99.6%.To reveal the efficacy of the scheme,several comparison studies are presented.These comparison studies reveal that the novel protection scheme is robust,efficient,and capable of securing healthcare imagery in IoMT systems.

Mapping of QTLs Related to Grain Weight Using Chromosome Single Segment Substitution Lines in Rice

Grain weight, one of the major factors determining rice yield, is a typical quantitative trait control ed by multiple genes. With Guangluai 4 as recipient and Nipponbare as donor, a population of 119 chromosome single segment substitution lines had been developed. Correlation analysis between grain weight and grain shape by SPSS revealed that 1 000-grain weight shared extremely significant posi-tive correlation with grain length and length-width ratio, but no significant correlation with grain width and thickness. The QTL analysis of grain weight was carried out using one-way analysis of variance and Dunnett＇s test. Nineteen stable QTLs re-sponsible for grain weight were identified over two years. Al 19 QTLs were identi-fied on al chromosomes except for chromosome 10 and 12 at a significance level of P≤0.001. Among them, 10 QTLs had a positive effect and were derived from the Nipponbare al ele, the additive effect of these QTLs ranged from 0.49 to 2.74 g, and the contributions of the additive effects ranged from 2.00% to 11.05%. Another 9 QTLs had a negative effect and were al derived from Guangluai 4 al ele, the ad-ditive effect of these QTLs ranged from 0.60 to 2.35 g, and the contributions of the additive effects ranged from 2.40% to 9.84%. The results provide a basis for the fine mapping and gene cloning of novel locus associated with rice grain weight.

Self-adapting extraction of matrix mineral bulk modulus and verification of fluid substitution

Gassmann＇s equations are commonly used for predicting seismic wave velocity in rock physics research.However the input matrix mineral bulk modulus parameters are not accurate,which greatly influences the prediction reliability.In this paper,combining the Russell fluid factor with the Gassman-Biot-Geertsma equation and introducing the dry-rock Poisson＇s ratio,we propose an effective matrix mineral bulk modulus extraction method.This method can adaptively invert the equivalent matrix mineral bulk modulus to apply the Gassmann equation to fluid substitution of complex carbonate reservoirs and increase the fluid prediction reliability.The verification of the actual material fluid substitution also shows that this method is reliable,efficient,and adaptable.

Identification of Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) Affecting Yield and Fiber Properties in Chromosome 16 in Cotton Using Substitution Line

Gossypium hirsutum L. and G. barbadense L. are the two cultivated tetraploid species of cotton. The first is characterized by a high yield and wide adaptation, and the second by its super fiber property. Substitution line in which a pair of intact chromosomes of TM_1 ( G. hirsutum ) were replaced by a pair of homozygous chromosomes of 3_79 ( G. barbadense ) is an excellent material for genetic research and molecular tagging. In this study, substitution line 16 (Sub 16) was used to evaluate the performance of the 16th chromosome in G. barbadense in TM_1 background. The genetic analysis using the major gene plus polygene mixed inheritance model in F 2∶3 family revealed that there might exist 2 QTLs respectively for boll size, lint percentage, lint index, fiber length and the first fruit branch node, 1 QTL for fiber elongation and flowering date, and no QTL for seed index, fiber strength and Micronaire in chromosome 16. However, 9 QTLs (LOD (logarithm of odds)≥3.0) controlling 6 quantitative traits were significantly identified in linkage group of chromosome 16 constructed in (TM_1×3_79) F 2by interval mapping. Among them, 1 QTL for boll size, fiber length, flowering date and fiber elongation could explain 15.2%, 19.7%, 12.1%, and 11.7% phenotypic variance respectively, 2 QTLs for lint index could explain 11.6% and 41.9%, and 3 QTLs for lint percentage could explain 8.7%, 9.6% and 29.2% phenotypic variance respectively. One unlinked SSR marker was associated with one QTL respectively for boll size and flowering date and they could explain 1.60% and 4.63% phenotypic variance. The traits associated significantly with chromosome 16 from Sub 16 were boll weight, lint percentage, lint index, fiber length, fiber elongation and flowering days.

Identification of Wheat-Barley 2H Alien Substitution Lines

The genetic constitution of fifteen materials derived from the cross wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. 'Chinese Spring') X barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. 'Betzes') was analyzed, and six disomic alien substitution lines were screened by GISH. The chromosome configurations in pollen mother cells at meiotic metaphase I (PMCs M I) of F, from each disomic substitution line respectively crossed with double ditelocentric lines 2A, 2B and 2D of 'Chinese Spring' were observed, and a set of wheat-barley disomic alien substitution lines 2H(A), 2H(B) and 2H(D) were obtained. The RFLP analysis with the probe psr131 on the short arm of wheat homeologous group 2 combining with four restriction enzymes were carried out. The results indicated that the probe psr131 could be used as molecular marker to tag the barley chromosome 2H. The barley chromosome 2H had good genetic compensation ability for wheat chromosomes 2B and 2D in vitality and other agronomic characters. The result of testing seed was that the wheat appearance starch quality had been changed from the half-farinaceous of 'Chinese Spring' to the half-cutin of substitution lines by transferring the barley chromosome 2H to wheat.

Effect of Cu ion substitution on structural and dielectric properties of Ni-Zn ferrites

A series of Cu-substituted Ni_(0.5-x)Cu_xZn_(0.5)Fe_2O_4(x=0.12,0.16,0.20,0.24 and 0.28) spinel ferrites were prepared by conventional ceramic method to investigate the effects of Cu compositional variation on the structure and dielectric properties.XRD patterns demonstrate that all the samples are crystallized in single-phase cubic spinel structure and the lattice constant increases with increasing Cu content.White grains observed by SEM are Cu-rich phase.The dielectric constant versus frequency curve displays a normal dielectric behavior of spinel ferrites.While the frequency dependence of dielectric loss tangent is found to be abnormal,exhibiting a peak at certain frequency for all Cu-substituted Ni-Zn ferrites.A maximum of the resistivity is observed at x=0.2 due to the decrease of hopping electrons between Fe^(2+) and Fe^(3+) in per unit volume,which is in contrast with the Cu content dependence of dielectric constant and dielectric loss.

ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE VEGETATIVE CELLS OF NOSTOC FLAGELLIFORME PREPARED WITH HIGH PRESSURE FREEZING AND FREEZE SUBSTITUTION TECHNIQUE

The ultrastructure of the vegetative cells of Nostoc flagelliforme Born. et Flah. was investigated with high pressure freezing and freeze substitution technique and compared with the results obtained by using conventional preparation methods. During the processes of chemical fixation, dehydration and embedding, the cell structures might be more artificially modified than that obtained from high pressure freezing and freeze substitution. With the present method, the sheath of N. flagelliforme could be well penetrated and no extra big space could exist between the cell and the sheath. The cell protoplasm rarely shrinked. Some fine structures of cell inclusions and unit membranes became visualized. Many bacteria were harbored in the sheath. In addition, the presence of big vacuoles in the cell of N. flagelliforme as well as the presence of bacteria in the sheath shown in the present preparation for cyanobacteria has not been described so far in the literature.