Transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis of changes in grain weight potential induced by water stress in wheat

The sink strength of developing ovaries in wheat determines the grain weight potential.The period from booting to the grain setting stage is critical for ovary growth and development and potential sink capacity determination.However,the underlying regulatory mechanism during this period by which the wheat plant balances and coordinates the floret number and ovary/grain weight under water stress has not been clarified.Therefore,we designed two irrigation treatments of W0(no seasonal irrigation)and W1(additional 75 mm of irrigation at the jointing stage)and analyzed the responses of the ovary/grain weight to water stress at the phenotypic,metabolomic,and transcriptomic levels.The results showed that the W0 irrigation treatment reduced the soil water content,plant height,and green area of the flag leaf,thus reducing grain number,especially for the inferior grains.However,it improved the grain weight of the superior and inferior grains as well as average grain weight at maturity,while the average ovary/grain weight and volume during–3 to 10 days after anthesis(DAA)also increased.Transcriptomic analysis indicated that the genes involved in both sucrose metabolism and phytohormone signal transduction were prominently accelerated by the W0 treatment,accompanied by greater enzymatic activities of soluble acid invertase(SAI)and sucrose synthase(Sus)and elevated abscisic acid(ABA)and indole-3-acetic acid(IAA)levels.Thus,the sucrose content decreased,while the glucose and fructose contents increased.In addition,several TaTPP genes(especially TaTPP-6)were down-regulated and the IAA biosynthesis genes TaTAR1 and TaTAR2 were up-regulated under the W0 treatment before anthesis,which further increased the IAA level.Collectively,water stress reduced the growth of vegetative organs and eliminated most of the inferior grains,but increased the ABA and IAA levels of the surviving ovaries/grains,promoting the enzymatic activity of Sus and degrading sucrose into glucose and fructose.As a result,the strong sucrose utilization ability,the enhanced enzymatic activity of SAI and the ABA-and IAA-mediated signaling jointly increased the weight and volume of the surviving ovaries/grains,and ultimately achieved the tradeoff between ovary/grain weight and number in wheat under water stress.

Influence of High Temperature Stress on Net Photosynthesis, Dry Matter Partitioning and Rice Grain Yield at Flowering and Grain Filling Stages

Climate change is recognized to increase the frequency and severity of extreme temperature events. At flowering and grain filling stages, risk of high temperature stress （HTS） on rice might increase, and lead to declining grain yields. A regulated cabinet experiment was carried out to investigate effects of high temperature stress on rice growth at flowering and grain- filling stages. Results showed that no obvious decrease pattern in net photosynthesis appeared along with the temperature rising, but the dry matter allocation in leaf, leaf sheath, culm, and panicle all changed. Dry weight of panicle decreased, and ratio of straw to total above ground crop dry weight increased 6-34% from CK, which might have great effects on carbon cycling and green house gas emission. Grain yield decreased significantly across all treatments on average from 15 to 73%. Occurrence of HTS at flowering stage showed more serious influence on grain yield than at grain filling stage. High temperature stress showed negative effects on harvest index. It might be helpful to provide valuable information for crop simulation models to capture the effects of high temperature stress on rice, and evaluate the high temperature risk.

Effect of grain size on high-temperature stress relaxation behavior of fine-grained TC4 titanium alloy

In order to analyze the effect of grain size on stress relaxation(SR) mechanism,the SR tests of TC4 alloy with three kinds of grain size were performed in a temperature range of 650-750℃.A modified cubic delay function was used to establish SR model for each grain size.A simplified algorithm was proposed for calculating the deformation activation energy based on classical Arrhenius equation.The grain size distribution and variation were observed by microstructural methods.The experimental results indicate that smaller grains are earlier to reach the relaxation limit at the same temperature due to lower initial stress and faster relaxation rate.The SR limit at 650℃ reduces with decreasing grain size.While the effect of grain size on SR limit is not evident at 700 and 750℃ since the relaxation is fully completed.With the increase of grain size,the deformation activation energy is improved and SR mechanism at 700℃ changes from grain rotation and grain boundary sliding to dislocation movement and dynamic recovery.

Diversity of intergranular corrosion and stress corrosion cracking for 5083 Al alloy with different grain sizes

5083 Al alloy sheets with different grain sizes(8.7-79.2 μm) were obtained by cold rolling and annealing. Their microstructures, intergranular corrosion(IGC), stress corrosion cracking(SCC), and crack propagation behaviors were investigated. The results showed that samples with coarse grains exhibit better IGC resistance with a corrosion depth of 15 μm. The slow strain rate test results revealed that fine-grained samples exhibit better SCC resistance with a susceptibility index(ISSRT) of 11.2%. Furthermore, based on the crack propagation mechanism, grain refinement can improve the SCC resistance by increasing the number of grain boundaries to induce the corrosion crack propagation along a tortuous path. The grains with {011} orientation could hinder crack propagation by orientating it toward the low-angle grain boundary region. The crack in the fine-grained material slowly propagates due to the tortuous path, and low H;and Cl;concentrations.

The Effect of Grain Size on the Viscosity and Yield Stress of Fine-Grained Sediments

In debris flow modelling,the viscosity and yield stress of fine-grained sediments should be determined in order to better characterize sediment flow.In particular,it is important to understand the effect of grain size on the rheology of fine-grained sediments associated with yielding.When looking at the relationship between shear stress and shear rate before yielding,a high-viscosity zone(called pseudoNewtonian viscosity) towards the apparent yield stress exists.After yielding,plastic viscosity(called Bingham viscosity) governs the flow.To examine the effect of grain size on the rheological characteristics of fine-grained sediments,clay-rich materials(from the Adriatic Sea,Italy; Cambridge Fjord,Canada; and the Mediterranean Sea,Spain),silt-rich debris flow materials(from La Valette,France) and silt-rich materials(iron tailings from Canada) were compared.Rheological characteristics were examined using a modified Bingham model.The materials examined,including the Canadian inorganic and sensitive clays,exhibit typical shear thinning behavior and strong thixotropy.In the relationships between the liquidity index and rheological values(viscosity and apparent yield stress),the effect of grain size on viscosity and yield stress is significant at a given liquidity index.The viscosity and yield stress of debris flow materials are higher than those of low-activity clays at the same liquid state.However the viscosity and yield stress of the tailings,which are mainly composed of silt-sized particles,are slightly lower than those of low-activity clays.

Application of moderate nitrogen levels alleviates yield loss and grain quality deterioration caused by post-silking heat stress in fresh waxy maize

High temperature(HT)during grain filling is one of the most important environmental factors limiting maize yield and grain quality.Nitrogen(N)fertilizer is essential for maintaining normal plant growth and defense against environmental stresses.The effects of three N rates and two temperature regimes on the grain yield and quality of fresh waxy maize were studied using the hybrids Suyunuo 5(SYN5)and Yunuo 7(YN7)as materials.N application rates were 1.5,4.5,and 7.5 g plant-1,representing low,moderate,and high N levels(LN,MN,and HN,respectively).Mean day/night temperatures during the grain filling of spring-and summer-sown plants were 27.6/21.0°C and 28.6/20.0°C for ambient temperature(AT)and 35/21.0°C and 35/20.0°C for HT,respectively.On average,HT reduced kernel number,weight,yield,and moisture content by 29.8%,17.9%,38.7%,and 3.3%,respectively.Kernel number,weight,yield,moisture,and starch contents were highest under MN among the three N rates under both temperature regimes.HT reduced grain starch content at all N levels.HT increased grain protein content,which gradually increased with N rate.Mean starch granule size under MN was larger(10.9μm)than that under LN and HN(both 10.4μm)at AT.However,the mean size of starch granules was higher under LN(11.7μm)and lower under MN(11.2μm)at HT.Iodine binding capacity(IBC)was lowest under MN and highest under HN among the three N levels under both temperature regimes.In general,IBC at all N rates was increased by HT.Peak viscosity(PV)was gradually reduced with increasing N rate at AT.In comparison with LN,PV was increased by MN and decreased by HN at HT.Retrogradation percentage gradually increased with N rate at AT,but was lowest under MN among the three N rates at HT.LN+AT and MN+HT produced grain with high pasting viscosity and low retrogradation tendency.MN application could alleviate the negative effects of HT on the grain yield and quality of fresh waxy maize.

Grain size dependence of flow stress in ECAPed Ti with constant texture

The effect of grain size on the flow stress in an ECAPed Ti with a constant texture was investigated,assuming that 2,4,5 and 6 passes microstructures have a similar texture.The average size of recrystallized grains decreased to 0.5 μm,0.4 μm,and 0.3 μm with respect to the ECAP pass number of 2,4,and 6,respectively.The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and yield strength (YS) increase with an increase in the number of pressing.The UTS and YS of the 6 passes ECAPed sample were found to be 740.2 MPa and 580.3 MPa,respectively.An equation for the flow stress of an ECAPed Ti with a constant texture as a function of the strain and grain size was derived for the ECAPed metal.The following equation was finally obtained:σ(ε)=103.9+1825ε-9.6ε1/2·d-1/2+8.3d-1/2.

Study on Cutting Force,Cutting Temperature and Machining Residual Stress in Precision Turning of Pure Iron with Different Grain Sizes

Pure iron is one of the difficult-to-machine materials due to its large chip deformation,adhesion,work-hardening,and built-up edges formation during machining.This leads to a large workpiece deformation and challenge to meet the required technical indicators.Therefore,under varying the grain size of pure iron,the influence of cutting speed,feed,and depth of cut on the cutting force,heat generation,and machining residual stresses were explored in the turning process to improve the machinability without compromising the mechanical properties of the material.The experimental findings have depicted that the influence of grain size on cutting force in the precision turning process is not apparent.However,the cutting temperature and residual stress of machining fine-grain iron were much smaller than the coarse grain at all levels of cutting parameters.

Improvement of Intergranular Stress Corrosion Crack Susceptibility of Austenite Stainless Steel through Grain Boundary Engineering

Intergranular stress corrosion crack susceptibility of austenite stainless steel was evaluated through threepoint bending test conducted in high temperature water. The experimental results showed that the frequent and efficient introduction of low energy coincidence site lattice boundaries through grain boundary engineering resulted in an apparent improvement of the intergranular stress corrosion crack resistance of austenite stainless steel.

Stress Field of Non-equilibrium Grain Boundaries in Nano-crystalline Metals

Introducing the stress distribution near grain boundaries to improve the dislocation pileup model for the Halt-Petch (H-P) relation, the continuous distribution of dislocations in the pileup could be solved by means of Tschebysheff polynomials for the Hilbert transformation. An analytical formula of the stress intensity factor for the dislocation pileup is obtained. The reverse H-P relation may be explained by the modified dislocation-pileup-model.

Dependence of stresses on grain orientations in BCC polycrystalline films on substrates

Most thin films have different thermal expansion coefficients from their substrates, thus thermal stresses will be introduced into the films when the temperature is changed during annealing and service. Calculations of these stresses for grains in various crystallographic orientations have been made for seven BCC transition metals Cr, Fe, Mo, Nb, Ta, V and W. Neglecting W, which is isotropic and the stresses are equiaxial and without grain orientation （hkl） dependence, the BCC metals may be grouped into two classes. In the first class （Cr, Mo, Nb and V）, the （100）-oriented grains have the largest stresses, while the stresses σ1 and σ2 in other （hkl）-oriented grains decrease linearly with the increase of the angle between （hkl） and （100）, and with σ1 〈 σ2 except in （100）- and （lll）-oriented grains. In the second class （Fe and Ta）, on the contrary, the （100）-oriented grains have the lowest stresses, and the stresses σ1 and σ2 in other （hkl）-oriented grains increase linearly with the increase of the angle between （hkl） and （100）, and with σ1 〉 σ2 except in （100）- and （111）-oriented grains.

EFFECT OF INITIAL GRAIN SIZE ON STATIC RECRYSTALLIZA-TION SOFTENING IN Cr STEEL USING STRESS RELAXATION TECHNIQUE

Effect of initial grain size (I.G.S.) on static recrystallization softeningin Cr steel (0.77 wt. percent Cr) has been investigated through the use of interrupted hotcompression tests and stress relaxation curves from Gleeble 1500. Initial grain sizes were variedbetween 20 and 93 microns. Stress strains curves for Cr steel for different initial grain sizes andrecrystallization times have been highlighted. Similar observation was made for metadynamicrecrystallization with shorter retardation times. Statically recrystallized grain size alsoincreased as initial grain size increases. It is found that the values of initial grain size havesignificant effects on the mean flow stress and static recrystallization kinetics as well as thepeak strain values to initiate dynamic recrystallization.

A NEURAL NETWORK-BASED MODEL FOR PREDICTION OF HOT-ROLLED AUSTENITE GRAIN SIZE AND FLOW STRESS IN MICROALLOY STEEL

For the great significance of the prediction of control parameters selected for hot-rolling and the evaluation of hot-rolling quality for the analysis of prod uction problems and production management, the selection of hot-rolling control parameters was studied for microalloy steel by following the neural network principle. An experimental scheme was first worked out for acquisition of sample data, in which a gleeble-1500 thermal simolator was used to obtain rolling temperature, strain, stain rate, and stress-strain curves. And consequently the aust enite grain sizes was obtained through microscopic observation. The experimental data was then processed through regression. By using the training network of BP algorithm, the mapping relationship between the hotrooling control parameters (rolling temperature, stain, and strain rate) and the microstructural paramete rs (austenite grain in size and flow stress) of microalloy steel was function appro ached for the establishment of a neural network-based model of the austeuite grain size and flow stress of microalloy steel. From the results of estimation made with the neural network based model, the hot-rolling control parameters can be effectively predicted.

Residual stress measurement of coarse-grain aluminum alloy using X-ray diffraction method

When measuring residual stress of coarse-grain aluminum alloy using X-ray diffraction method, the diffraction profile shows two peaks and position of measured 20 will be changed, which lead to an inaccurate measurement result. Hence, in this paper, some methods were employed to improve the measurement accuracy. During the measuring process, different parameters （diameter of irradiated area, Ψ-oscillation range and exposure time） were selected and profile peak shift method was utilized. Moreover, when the 20 of profiles was determined, different calculation methods were used to calculate the residual stress. The results show that diameter of irradiated area and Ψ-oscillation range have significant influence on the measuring result. For stress value calculated directly from the test equipment, cross correlation method is more accurate than the absolute peak. Furthermore, another two calculation methods of slope with 2θ- sin^2Ψ and ε- sin^2Ψwere used to calculate the stress based on parameters （2θ, ε） obtained from cross correlation method. It is concluded that 2θ - sin^2Ψ method can further improve the measurement accuracy.

Antioxidant Effect of Roasted Barley (<i>Hordeum vulgare</i>L.) Grain Extract towards Oxidative Stress <i>in Vitro</i>and <i>in Vivo</i>

The antioxidant activity of extract from roasted barley grain was evaluated by various methods in vitro and in vivo. Results showed that the extract exhibited high antioxidant activities in vitro and in vivo, evidenced by its ability to chelate ferrous ions, scavenge hydroxyl and superoxide radicals, and prevent lipid peroxidation of liver homogenate. The extract significantly increased the total antioxidant capability (T-AOC) in aged mice (P < 0.05). The activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) increased while levels of malondialodehyde (MDA) and manoamine oxidase (MAO) decreased in both the liver and brain of aged mice treated with the extract compared to the control (untreated mice). The results demonstrate potential antioxidant activities and antiaging effect of roasted barley grain. This provides scientific support for the use of roasted barley grain as an antioxidant against oxidative stress.

Modeling the effects of extreme high-temperature stress at anthesis and grain filling on grain protein in winter wheat

Extreme high-temperature stress(HTS) associated with climate change poses potential threats to wheat grain yield and quality. Wheat grain protein concentration(GPC) is a determinant of wheat quality for human nutrition and is often neglected in attempts to assess climate change impacts on wheat production. Crop models are useful tools for quantification of temperature impacts on grain yield and quality.Current crop models either cannot simulate or can simulate only partially the effects of HTS on crop N dynamics and grain N accumulation. There is a paucity of observational data on crop N and grain quality collected under systematic HTS scenarios to develop algorithms for model improvement as well as evaluate crop models. Two-year phytotron experiments were conducted with two wheat cultivars under HTS at anthesis, grain filling, and both stages. HTS significantly reduced total aboveground N and increased the rate of grain N accumulation, while total aboveground N and the rate of grain N accumulation were more sensitive to HTS at anthesis than at grain filling. The observed relationships between total aboveground N, rate of grain N accumulation, and HTS were quantified and incorporated into the WheatGrow model. The new HTS routines improved simulation of the dynamics of total aboveground N, grain N accumulation, and GPC by the model. The improved model provided better estimates of total aboveground N, grain N accumulation, and GPC under HTS(the normalized root mean square error was reduced by 40%, 85%, and 80%, respectively) than the original WheatGrow model. The improvements in the model enhance its applicability to the assessment of climate change effects on wheat grain quality by reducing the uncertainties of simulating N dynamics and grain quality under HTS.

Degradation mechanisms for polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors with a grain boundary in the channel under negative gate bias stress

The negative gate bias stress(NBS)reliability of n-type polycrystalline silicon(poly-Si)thin-film transistors(TFTs)with a distinct defective grain boundary(GB)in the channel is investigated.Results show that conventional NBS degradation with negative shift of the transfer curves is absent.The on-state current is decreased,but the subthreshold characteristics are not affected.The gate bias dependence of the drain leakage current at V_(ds)of 5.0 V is suppressed,whereas the drain leakage current at V_(ds)of 0.1 V exhibits obvious gate bias dependence.As confirmed via TCAD simulation,the corresponding mechanisms are proposed to be trap state generation in the GB region,positive-charge local formation in the gate oxide near the source and drain,and trap state introduction in the gate oxide.

Cracks Propagation as a Function of Grain Size Variants on Nanocrystalline Materials’ Yield Stress Produced by Accumulative Roll-Bonding

Cracks are usually observed at the edge of materials deformed by accumulative roll bonding from conventional materials to nanostructure materials. The observed cracks then propagate in the materials during grain refinement. The cracks propagation affects the yield stress and the effective fracture energy of nanocrystalline materials. In this study, the impacts of crack propagation when measured as a function of grain size variants on nanocrystalline materials’ yield stress are investigated for a material deformed by accumulative roll-bonding. The study employs experimental data and theoretical concepts of severe plastic deformation and cracks processes in nanocrystalline materials. The current studies also focus on nano-cracks that will not lead to rapid materials failure during grain refinement. The study revealed that crack propagation varied as a function of grain size variants during grain refinement. The study also revealed that nano-crack increased during the deformation of nanostructured materials. The study also revealed that the effective fracture energy decreased as grain refinement took place. The study revealed that nanomaterials yield stress decreased with the increase in effective fracture energy. The current study suggests a theoretical model that shows the generation of nanomaterials cracks during grain refinement as a function of grain size variants. In the model, the cracks propagate on nanocrystalline materials due to the compressive load applied to a material. The model predicts that the generation of cracks as functions of grain size variants impacts the energy level in nanocrystalline materials.

Effects of Initial Static Shear Stress and Grain Shape on Liquefaction of Saturated Nanjing Sand

This paper mainly investigates the effects of initial static shear stress and grain shape on the liquefaction induced large deformation of saturated sand under torsional shear.Nanjing sand,mainly composed of platy grains,is tested with different initial static shear stress ratio(SSR)using a hollow column torsional shear apparatus.The tests find that the saturated Nanjing sand reaches full liquefaction under the superposition of initial static shear stress and cyclic stress for both stress reversal and non-reversal cases.However,it requires a large number of loading cycles to reach full liquefaction if stress reversal does not occur.With increasing the initial static stress,the large deformation of the Nanjing sand should mainly induced by the cyclic liquefaction firstly under a smaller initial shear stress,and then it should be induced by the residual deformation failure.The critical point occurs approximately when the initial shear stress is close to the amplitude of the cyclic shear stress.Meanwhile,it shows that grain angularity increases the liquefaction resistance when the initial static shear stress is zero.A small initial static shear stress causes the larger loss of liquefaction resistance for angular sand than rounded sand.At a high initial SSR,the angular sand is more resistant to the large residual deformation failure than the rounded sand.

Effect of Drought Stress on Proteome of Maize Grain during Grain Filling

Based on isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification(iTRAQ)technology,the proteome of grains of a maize cultivar Huangzao 4 under drought stress at grain filling stage was analyzed.The results show that under drought stress,438 proteins were differentially expressed in the maize grains during grain filling.Among them,200 were up-regulated and 238 were down-regulated.The gene ontology(GO)analysis shows that the biological processes in which differential proteins are more involved are cellular processes,metabolic processes and single biological processes;proteins in the cell component category are mainly distributed in cells,cell parts and organelles;and the proteins the molecular function category mainly possess catalytic activity and binding function.Differentially expressed proteins classified by COG are mainly involved in protein post-translational modification and transport,molecular chaperones,general functional genes,translation,ribosomal structure,biosynthesis,energy production and transformation,carbohydrate transport and metabolism,amino acid transport and metabolism,etc.The subcellular structure of the differentially expressed proteins is mainly located in the cell chloroplast and cytosol.The proportions are 35.01%and 30.21%respectively.KEGG metabolic pathway enrichment analysis shows that the differentially expressed proteins are mostly involved in antibiotic biosynthesis,microbial metabolism in different environments,and endoplasmic reticulum protein processing;the metabolic pathways with higher enrichment are the carbon fixation pathway and estrogen signaling pathway of prokaryotes;and the higher enrichment and greater significance are in the tricarboxylic acid cycle,carbon fixation of photosynthetic organisms and proteasome.The results of this study preliminarily reveal the adaptive mechanism of maize grains in response to drought stress during grain filling,providing a theoretical reference for maize drought-resistant molecular breeding.