Integrated genomic and transcriptomic analysis reveals genes associated with plant height of foxtail millet

Foxtail millet(Setaria italica)is an important C4 model crop;however,due to its high-density planting and high stature,lodging at the filling stage resulted in a serious reduction in yield and quality.Therefore,it is imperative to identify and deploy the genes controlling foxtail millet plant height.In this study,we used a semi-dwarf line 263A and an elite high-stalk breeding variety,Chuang 29 to construct an F2 population to identify dwarf genes.We performed transcriptome analysis(RNA-seq)using internode tissues sampled at three jointing stages of 263A and Chuang 29,as well as bulk segregant analysis(BSA)on their F2 population.A total of 8918 differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were obtained from RNA-seq analysis,and GO analysis showed that DEGs were enriched in functions such as‘‘gibberellin metabolic process”and‘‘oxidoreductase activity”,which have previously been shown to be associated with plant height.A total 593 mutated genes were screened by BSA-seq method.One hundred and seventy-six out of the 593 mutated genes showed differential expression levels between the two parental lines,and seven genes not only showed differential expression in two or three internode tissues but also showed high genomic variation in coding regions,which indicated they play a crucial role in plant height determination.Among them,we found a gibberellin biosynthesis related GA20 oxidase gene(Seita.5G404900),which had a single-base at the third exon,leading to the frameshift mutation at 263A.Cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence assay and association analysis proved the single-base in Seita.5G404900 co-segregated with dwarf phenotype in two independent F2 populations planted in entirely different environments.Taken together,the candidate genes identified in this study will help to elucidate the genetic basis of foxtail millet plant height,and the molecular marker will be useful for marker-assisted dwarf breeding.

Waxy allelic diversity in common millet(Panicum miliaceum L.) in China

A set of 132 accessions of common millet,Panicum miliaceum L.,from 12 provinces of China were assessed for endosperm starch type(waxy or non-waxy)using I_2-KI staining,amylose and amylopectin contents using the dual-wavelength colorimetric method,and genotype of Waxy genes conditioning amylose content by gene sequencing.Endosperm starch content varied from57.69%to 74.70%,while the amylose and amylopectin contents of the starch ranged from 0 to23.29%and from 41.99%to 70.24%,respectively.Sequencing two Wx genes,including Wx-L(intron 5-exon 7 and intron 8–9)and Wx-S(exon 9–intron 10)revealed several polymorphisms(S_0,S_(-15),L_C,L_F,L_Y).Marker M5-R11 linking to the Wx-S gene may be used to discriminate waxy common millet accessions from non-waxy ones.Among the 132 accessions,68 with the S_(-15)allele had waxy endosperm starch with the amylose content range 0–2.58%and 64 accessions with the S_0allele had non-waxy endosperm starch with amylose content range 3.94%–23.29%.Five genotypes including S_(-15)/L_F(45%of the accessions),S_0/L_F(25%),S_0/L_Y(12%),S_0/L_C(11%),and S_(-15)/L_Y(7%)were identified.Six new SNPs were detected at the Wx-L locus.These results will facilitate common millet breeding,especially of cultivars free of amylose.

Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer on the Accumulation and Distribution of Dry Matter in Broomcorn Millet

[Objective] To understand the effect of nitrogen application on dry matter accumulation and allocation dynamics in broomcorn millet. [Method] The accumulation and distribution of dry matter were studied using cultivars Jin Shu 7 and Huang Mizi at different levels of nitrogen fertilizer at the jointing stage. [Result] The results showed that increasing N application led to the increase of green leaf area and the delay of leaf senescence, which was beneficial to the accumulation of dry matter.Appropriate nitrogen application(90 kg/hm2) could coordinate the translocation rate of dry matter among different plant parts, thereby enhancing the yield of broomcorn millet; among different organs, the contribution rate of stem to kernel was greater than that of leaf to kernel; there was obvious correlation between dry matter and yield. For Jin Shu 7, leaf area and dry weight of spike showed significant negative correlation with yield. [Conclusion] The formation of grain yield of broomcorn millet involved the accumulation and allocation of dry matter, the appropriate amount of nitrogen application(90 kg/hm2) could improve the rates of translocation and contribution of dry matter, thereby promoting the yield of broomcorn millet.

The properties of flax fiber reinforced wood flour/high density polyethylene composites

Flax fiber(FF) was used to reinforce wood flour/high density polyethylene composites(WF/PE).WF/PE particles were uniformly mixed with FF via high-speed mixing and then extruded with a single screw extruder to prepare FF reinforced WF/PE composites(FF/WF/PE).Mechanical testing,dynamic mechanical analysis,scanning electron microscopy(SEM),creep measurement and Torque rheology were used to characterize the resulting composites.The results indicate that the mechanical performance of the composites could be remarkably improved by adding a limited amount of FF.The flexural strength and modulus increased by 14.6 and 51.4%,respectively(FF content of 9 wt%),while the unnotched impact strength could be increased by 26.5%(FF content of12 wt%).The creep resistance and toughness of thecomposite was markedly improved without changing the plastic content of the composite material.

Non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of wood-flour/polypropylene composites in the presence of b-nucleating agent

The influence of aryl amide compounds（TMB）as b-nucleating agents, on the non-isothermal crystallization of a wood-flour/polypropylene composite（WF/PP）prepared by compression molding was investigated by wide-angle X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. TMB was proved to be an effective b-crystalline nucleating agent for WF/PP. The DSC data showed that the crystallization peak temperature（Tp） increased and the half-time（t1/2） decreased with the addition of TMB.Three theoretical models were used to analyze the nonisothermal crystallization process. The modified Avrami method and Mo method successfully explained the nonisothermal crystallization behavior of PP and its composites. Their activation energies for non-isothermal crystallization were determined basing on the Kissinger method.

Effect of an antioxidant on the life cycle of wood flour/polypropylene composites

This study assessed the life cycle of biocomposites with antioxidants by repeated processing.The effects of antioxidants on the life cycle of wood flour/polypropylene(PP)composites were determined by analyzing their mechanical and thermal properties.The composites were repeatedly processed for seven times with pelletizing and extruding.An antioxidant,pentaerythritoltetrakys 3-(3,5-ditert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate,was used.The mechanical strength of the biocomposites decreased after reprocessing.Fourier transformed infrared analysis showed that thermo-oxidative aging occurred during reprocessing.The thermal performance of the resulting composites decreased because of reprocessing.Wood flour/PP has a long lifetime and antioxidants can slow the thermo-oxidative and mechanical degradation during reprocessing.

Bubble behaviors of geldart B particle in a pseudo two-dimensional pressurized fluidized bed

Pressurized fluidized beds have been developed in quite a few industrial applications because of intensified heat and mass transfer and chemical reaction.The bubble behaviors under elevated pressure,strongly influencing the fluidization and reaction conversion of the whole system,are of great research significance.In this work,the bubble behaviors of Geldart B particle in a pseudo two-dimensional(2D)pressurized fluidized bed were experimentally studied based on digital image analysis technique.The effects of pressure and fluidization gas velocity on the general bubble behaviors(i.e.,size,shape and spatial distribution)and the dynamic characteristics,such as the time-evolution of voidage distribution and local flow regimes,were comprehensively investigated.Results show that increasing pressure re-duces the stability of bubbles and facilitates gas passing through the emulsion phase,resulting in the"smoother"fluidization state with smaller bubbles and declined bubble fraction and standard deviation.The equivalent bubble diameter and bubble aspect ratio increase with the increasing gas velocity while decrease as pressure rises.The elevated pressure reduces bubbles extension in the vertical direction,prohibits the"short pass"of fluidization gas in large oblong bubbles/slugs and benefits the gas-solid interaction.The flow regimes variation with gas velocity is affected by the elevated pressure,and demonstrates different features in different local positions of the bed.

Encapsulation of polyethylene glycol in cellulose-based porous capsules for latent heat storage and light-to-thermal conversion

Phase change materials are potential candidates for the application of latent heat storage.Herein,we fabricated porous capsules as shape-stable materials from cellulose-based polyelectrolyte complex,which were first prepared using cellulose 6-(N-pyridinium)hexanoyl ester as the cationic polyelectrolyte and carboxymethyl cellulose as the anionic polyelectrolyte to encapsulate polyethylene glycol by the vacuum impregnation method.Furthermore,the multi-walled carbon nanotube or graphene oxide,which were separately composited into the polyelectrolytes complex capsules to enhance thermal conductivity and light-to-thermal conversion efficiency.These capsules owned a typical core–shell structure,with an extremely high polyethylene glycol loading up to 34.33 g∙g^(‒1).After loading of polyethylene glycol,the resulted cellulose-based composite phase change materials exhibited high thermal energy storage ability with the latent heat up to 142.2 J∙g^(‒1),which was 98.5%of pure polyethylene glycol.Further results showed that the composite phase change materials demonstrated good form-stable property and thermal stability.Moreover,studies involving light-to-thermal conversion determined that composite phase change materials exhibited outstanding light-to-thermal conversion performance.Considering their exceptional comprehensive features,innovative composite phase change materials generated from cellulose presented a highly interesting choice for thermal management and renewable thermal energy storage.

Inhibition of FOXO3a/BIM signaling pathway contributes to the protective effect of salvianolic acid A against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

Salvianolic acid A(SalA) is an effective compound extracted from traditional Chinese medicine Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. The Forkhead box O3a(FOXO3a) signaling pathway plays crucial roles in the modulation of ischemia-induced cell apoptosis. However, no information about the regulatory effect of SalA on FoxO3a is available. To explore the anti-cerebral ischemia effect and clarify the therapeutic mechanism of SalA, SH-SY5Y cells and Sprague–Dawley rats were applied, which were exposed to oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R) and middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion(MCAO/R) injuries, respectively. The involved pathway was identified using the specific inhibitor LY294002. Results showed that SalA concentration-dependently inhibited OGD/R injury triggered cell viability loss. SalA reduced cerebral infarction, lowered brain edema, improved neurological function, and inhibited neuron apoptosis in MCAO/R rats, which were attenuated by the treatment of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase(PI3K) specific inhibitor LY294002. SalA time-and concentration-dependently upregulated the phosphorylation levels of protein kinase B(AKT) and its downstream protein FOXO3a. Moreover, the nuclear translocation of FOXO3a was inhibited by SalA both in vivo and in vitro, which was also reversed by LY294002. The above results indicated that SalA fought against ischemia/reperfusion damage at least partially via the AKT/FOXO3a/BIM pathway.

Applications of Electrical Capacitance Tomography in Two Phase Flow Visualization

The successful application of Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) depends heavily on the image reconstruction speed and quality. The two requirements usually cannot be satisfied simultaneously. Also, for a large number of acquired 2D ECT images, a 3D presentation of them is much desired to track the variations of the material distribution in a third dimension. To facilitate ECT for practical flow analyses in process engineering, the authors have recently developed algorithms for 3D image presentation and for online iterative image reconstruction that only takes the same time as a linear back projection method but yields good image qualities as the Landweber iterative method does. The new methods have been successfully applied to visualize several classes of two phase flows, namely fluidization, cyclone separation, circulating rate determination in circulating fluidized beds, pneumatic conveying, rotating drum mixing. Special characteristics in each case have been discussed and valuable results are obtained, which are reported in this paper.

Experimental Study on Measurement of Flame Temperature Distribution Using the Two-Color Method

A novel optical instrumentation system for flame characterization was developed and tested. The two-color system is capable of performing on-line measurement of flame and temperature distribution, providing temporal and spatial characterization of the combustion process. In addition, the system has the advantage of being non-intrusive. The on-line measurement of temperature distribution on a methane-air combustor revealed some interesting characteristics. When air flow rate was kept constant, an increase in CH4 flow rate would enhance the combustion intensity and elevate the flame temperature. While under constant CH4 flow rate, the increase of air flow rate would lead the measured flame temperature first to increase and then decrease. The drop of temperature might partially be caused by the heat losses due to excessive air. However, with insufficient soot particles in the flame, the temperature could be under-evaluated.

Investigation of gas-solids flow hydrodynamics in a cold model of a dual fluidised bed gasifier using electrical capacitance tomography sensors

The flow characteristics of a dual fluidised bed gasifier(DFBG)are more complex than those of a single fluidised bed gasifier.For stable operation and appropriate control,a cold DFBG test facility with both an upper and a lower U-valve was built,and electrical capacitance tomography(ECT)sensors were installed with pressure transducers to investigate the effects of operating conditions on gas-solids flow hydrodynamics.The operating parameters included gas velocities in the riser and in the bubbling fluidised bed,aeration velocity in the lower U-valve,bed material inventory,and particle size.This is the first time that ECT was applied in different flow zones of a dual fluidised bed gasifier system.The experimental results indicated that ECT in the recycle chamber could monitor the performance of the lower U-valve under different operating conditions for early detection of gas shortcut from the riser to the bubbling bed.Three main flow regimes in the riser and the differences between the reactors were identified by two sets of ECT sensors with pressure transducers.Finally,the effects of the operating conditions on the pressure drop in different parts of the DFBG was investigated.

Experimental Study on Wavy-Flow Pneumatic Conveying in Horizontal Pipe

Low-velocity pneumatic conveying systems have been developed to meet the requirement of low operation costs and have been widely used in chemical and process industries. However, the understanding of the mechanism is limited. This paper reports an experimental study on a slug-flow pneumatic conveying. Electrical capacitance tomography has been used to visualize plug shape and identify the flow pattern. Comparison was made between the experimental data of pressure drop with existed models.

Effects of pressure on flow characteristics in a pressurized circulating fluidized bed

The effects of operating pressure on the gas-solid flow characteristics in a pressurized circulating fluidized bed(CFB)gasification system were studied by experiment and simulation.Elevated operating pressure was found to increase the particle uniformity in the axial and radial directions.Experiments and simulations both showed that as the operating pressure increased,the pressure drops along the riser height decreased.The experimental pressure drops at the same locations decreased when the operating pressure increased,but the opposite trend was observed in the simulation results.A proper drag model must be developed for the accurate simulation of pressurized CFB operation,and the accuracy of electrical capacitance tomography(ECT)measurement and cross-correlation analysis should be improved for better prediction of the particle circulation flux.

The Effect of Water Spray upon Incineration Flue Gas Clean-up

The existence of liquid water was found very important in incineration flue gas clean-up systems for enhancing the absorption of acid components contained. In a newly developed incineration flue gas clean-up tower, which works in a semi-dry mode, the water is injected in the form of spray to maximum its contact surface with the gas. The criteria for the design of the water nozzles would be nigh water concentration but no liquid impinging on the solid wall and complete evaporation inside the tower. In order to optimize the atomizer design, the effects of the spray type (hollow or solid cone), their initial droplet she distribution and water flow rate on the performance of the acid gas absorption were investigated. The liquid behaviour was studied with a fluid dynamic simulation code, and the overall performance was checked experimentally. This paper presents the use of a commercial CFD code, FLUENT, and some modifications made during such investigation. The modification includes the viscosity of the flue gas defined as a function of the temperature, and the initial mass fraction of different droplet size group described with an exponential distribution formula of Rosin-Rammler. The investigation results (the optimal spray parameters) were used to guide the water nozzle design. The general performance of the flue gas clean-up system measured during the plant operation complied with the design criteria.

Effects of riser geometry on gas-solid flow characteristics in circulating fluidized beds

The performance of a circulating fluidized bed strongly depends on its parameter settings,including that of riser geometry.In this study,a laboratory-scale circulating fluidized bed with three different riser geometries(circular,square,and rectangular)that had the same cross-sectional area and height was operated under two static bed heights(20,and 35 cm).Electrical capacitance tomography was combined with differential pressure transducers and an optical-fiber probe to measure the solids'volume fraction,differential pressure fluctuations,and radial particle concentration variations.Computational particle fluid dynamics simulations were also performed.The results showed that single bubbles appeared in the bottom region of the circular and square risers and double bubbles in the bottom region of the rectangular riser.The autocorrelation of capacitance signals was periodic for the circular and square risers and non-periodic for the rectangular riser.The radial particle concentration profiles showed a single-core annulus structure in the circular and square risers,but a double-core annulus structure along the long side and single-core annulus structure along the short side in the rectangular riser.Shannon entropy analysis showed that fluidization was less disordered and most predictable for the rectangular riser.