Genome resequencing reveals the evolutionary history of garlic reproduction traits

The propagation of cultivated garlic relies on vegetative cloves,thus flowers become non-essential for reproduction in this species,driving the evolution of reproductive feature-derived traits.To obtain insights into the evolutionary alteration of reproductive traits in the clonally propagated garlic,the evolutionary histories of two main reproduction-related traits,bolting and flower differentiation,were explored by genome analyses using 134 accessions displaying wide diversity in these two traits.Resequencing identified 272.8 million variations in the garlic genome,198.0million of which represent novel variants.Population analysis identified five garlic groups that have evolved into two clades.Gene expression,single-cell transcriptome sequencing,and genome-wide trait association analyses have identified numerous candidates that correlate with reproductive transition and flower development,some of which display distinct selection signatures.Selective forces acting on the B-box zinc finger protein-encoding Asa2G00291.1,the global transcription factor group E protein-encoding Asa5G01527.1,and VERNALIZATION INSENSITIVE 3-like Asa3G03399.1 appear to be representative of the evolution of garlic bolting.Plenty of novel genomic variations and trait-related candidates represent valuable resources for biological studies of garlic.Numerous selective signatures from genes associated with the two chosen reproductive traits provide important insights into the evolutionary history of reproduction in this clonally propagated crop.

MXenes for Solar Cells

Application of two-dimensional MXene materials in photovoltaics has attracted increasing attention since the first report in 2018 due to their metallic electrical conductivity,high carrier mobility,excellent transparency,tunable work function and superior mechanical property.In this review,all developments and applications of the Ti3C2Tx MXene(here,it is noteworthy that there are still no reports on other MXenes’application in photovoltaics by far)as additive,electrode and hole/electron transport layer in solar cells are detailedly summarized,and meanwhile,the problems existing in the related studies are also discussed.In view of these problems,some suggestions are given for pushing exploration of the MXenes’application in solar cells.It is believed that this review can provide a comprehensive and deep understanding into the research status and,moreover,helps widen a new situation for the study of MXenes in photovoltaics.

Analysis of Genetic Relationship among Boehmeria Varieties Using cpSSR Markers

By using cpSSR （chloroplast microsatellites） markers, the genetic relationship among Boehmeria varieties was analyzed. Five pairs of cpSSR primers with excellent amplification result, clear amplification band and good repeatability were screened from 22 pairs of cpSSR primers, and the polymorphism rate was 22.73%. By using these five pairs of cpSSR primers, 16 polymorphic loci were amplified from eight experimental materials, with an average of 3.2 loci. According to the results of duster analysis, these experimental materials were divided into three categories. The clustering results were consistent with the classification results based on chloroplast gene sequences.

Enhancement of photoelectric performance for CsPbI2Br solar cells by the synergistic effect of binary additives

CsPbI_(2)Br-based perovskite solar cells(PSCs)have attracted much attention because of their excellent phase stability and appropriate bandgap.However,numerous defects of undercoordinated ions or mobile species are the sites of carrier nonradiative recombination,causing a low power conversion efficiency(PCE).In this work,NaCl and nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots(N-GQDs)as binary additives are introduced into perovskite precursor to obtain high-quality photoactive films.Chloride ion(Cl^(-))is incorporated into perovskite due to the same physical and chemical properties as bromine(Br^(-)),that align the energy level of CsPbI_(2)Br,decrease the energy barrier between perovskite and P3HT to promote carrier transport and extraction,hence result in the reduced energy loss.Meanwhile,because of its good conductivity,N-GQDs at grain boundaries can rapidly conduct photogenerated electrons to SnO_(2),suppressing carrier recombination at grain boundaries.Furthermore,the trap state density of the CsPbI_(2)Br film with binary additives is reduced,which could prolong the carrier lifetime,and improve surface morphology.As a result,a PCE of 15.37%for CsPbI_(2)Br PSCs with binary additives is obtained,which shows~22.76%relative increment compare with the pristine PSCs.Therefore,a simple and convenient optimization strategy of binary additives for PSCs is proposed in this work.

A Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of Garlic (Allium sativum) Provides Insights into Genome Evolution and Allicin Biosynthesis

Garlic,an economically important vegetable,spice,and medicinal crop,produces highly enlarged bulbs and unique organosulfur compounds.Here,we report a chromosome-level genome assembly for garlic,with a total size of approximately 16.24 Gb,as well as the annotation of 57561 predicted protein-coding genes,making garlic the first Allium species with a sequenced genome.Analysis of this garlic genome assembly reveals a recent burst of transposable elements,explaining the substantial expansion of the garlic genome.We examined the evolution of certain genes associated with the biosynthesis of allicin and inulin neoseries-type fructans,and provided new insights into the biosynthesis of these two compounds.Furthermore,a large-scale transcriptome was produced to characterize the expression patterns of garlic genes in different tissues and at various growth stages of enlarged bulbs.The reference genome and large-scale transcriptome data generated in this study provide valuable new resources for research on garlic biology and breeding.

溶液法制备硅/SnCl_(2)处理的Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) MXene肖特基结太阳电池

非掺杂异质结晶硅太阳电池是目前光伏领域的一个研究热点.本文通过简单的滴涂工艺,并经自然干燥制备了一种基于Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) MXene/n-Si肖特基结的新型光伏电池.此非掺杂异质结光伏电池在标准AM 1.5G模拟太阳光下短路电流密度为20.68 mA cm^(−2),开路电压为0.530 V,填充因子为52.0%,光电转换效率达到了5.70%.新型Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) MXene/n-Si肖特基结光伏电池具有简单的器件结构和简便的制备工艺.通过异质结界面改良,二维材料性能改善等都可大幅提高其光电转换性能.经SnCl_(2)水系溶液对MXene层进行处理后,器件光电转换效率进一步提升至6.95%(J_(sc)=23.04 mA cm^(−2),V_(oc)=0.536 V,FF=56.2%).经处理后的MXene层,可以有效减少光反射并提高光吸收.SnCl_(2)水系溶液的处理,还能进一步改善异质结质量及MXene层与顶电极的接触,进而通过抑制载流子复合提高载流子寿命.

Facile discovery of red blood cell deformation and compromised membrane/skeleton assembly in Prader—Willi syndrome

Prader—Willi syndrome(PWS)is a rare congenital disease with genetic alterations in chromosome 15.Although genetic disorders and DNA methylation abnormalities involved in PWS have been investigated to a significant degree,other anomalies such as those in erythrocytes may occur and these have not been clearly elucidated.In the present study,we uncovered slight anemia in children with PWS that was associated with increased red blood cell(RBC)distribution width(RDW)and contrarily reduced hematocrit(HCT)values.Intriguingly,the increased ratio in RDW to HCT allowed sufficient differentiation between the PWS patients from the healthy controls and,importantly,with individuals exhibiting conventional obesity.Further morphologic examinations revealed a significant deformity in erythrocytes and mild hemolysis in PWS patients.Comprehensive mechanistic investigations unveiled compromised membrane skeletal assembly and membrane lipid composition,and revealed a reduced F-actin/G-actin ratio in PWS patients.We ascribed these phenotypic changes in erythrocytes to the observed genetic defects,including DNA methylation abnormalities.Our collective data allowed us to uncover RBC deformation in children with PWS,and this may constitute an auxiliary indicator of PWS in early childhood.

Improved comprehensive performance of CsPbI_(2) Br perovskite solar cells by modifying the photoactive layers with carbon nanodots

Introducing additives into perovskite layers is an effective method to enhance the power conversion efficiency(PCE)and operation stability of perovskite solar cells(PSCs).Herein,we reported an addition of carbon nanodots(CNDs)into the CsPbI_(2) Br photoactive layer to boost performance of the related PSCs.It is found that the trap density can be notably suppressed,and the crystallinity can be enhanced after introducing CNDs with an optimal quantity.The PSC with 1.0 wt%addition of CNDs delivers a notable improved average PCE of 13.77%(the highest PCE:14.69%)from that of 12.14%for the control device without CND addition.Moreover,the CND-added CsPbI 2 Br PSCs exhibit superior stability,i.e.,~86% retention of the initial PCE after 160 h aging in air with the humidity of 20%-30%,to the control device.