Research Progress and Application of Plant Branching

Plant branching development plays an important role in plant morphogenesis(aboveground plant type),the number and angle of branches are important agronomic characters that determine crop plant type.Effective branches determine the number of panicles or pods of crops and then control the yield of crops.With the rapid development of plant genomics and molecular genetics,great progress has been made in the study of branching development.In recent years,a series of important branching-related genes have been validated from Arabidopsis thaliana,rice,pea,tomato and maize mutants.It is reviewed that plant branching development is controlled by genetic elements and plant hormones,such as auxin,cytokinin and lactones(or lactone derivatives),as well as by environment and genetic elements.Meanwhile,shoot architecture in crop breeding was discussed in order to provide theoretical basis for the study of crop branching regulation.

Detection of tracheal branching with computerized tomography:The relationship between the angles and age-gender

BACKGROUND The data obtained on the anatomical knowledge of the tracheobronchial system can be used for diagnosis,treatment and interventional interventions in areas such as anesthesia,thoracic surgery,pulmonary physiology.AIM To determine the tracheobronchial branching angles in pediatric and adult populations by using the multislice computed tomography(CT)and minimum intensity projection(MinIP)technique,which is a non-invasive method.METHODS Our study was carried out retrospectively.Patients who underwent contrast and non-contrast CT examination,whose anatomically and pathophysiologically good tracheobronchial system and lung parenchyma images were obtained,were included in the study.Measurements were made in the coronal plane of the lung parenchyma.In the coronal plane,right main bronchus-left main bronchus angle,right upper lobe bronchus-intermedius bronchus angle,right middle lobe bronchus-right lower lobe bronchus angle,left upper lobe bronchus-left lower lobe bronchus angle were measured.RESULTS The study population consisted of 1511 patients,753 pediatric(mean age:13.4±4.3;range:1-18 years)and 758 adults(mean age:54.3±17.3;range:19-94 years).In our study,tracheal bifurcation angle was found to be 73.3°±13.7°(59.6°-87°)in the whole population.In the pediatric group,the right-left main coronal level was found to be higher in boys compared to girls(74.6°±12.9°vs 71.2°±13.9°,P=0.001).In the adult group,the right-left main coronal level was found to be lower in males compared to females(71.9°±12.9°vs 75.8°±14.7°,P<0.001).CONCLUSIONS Our study,with the number of 1511 patients,is the first study in the literature with the largest number of patient populations including pediatric and adult demographic data,measuring the angle values of the tracheobronchial system using multislice CT and MinIP technique.Study data will not only be a guide during invasive procedures,but it can also guide studies to be done with imaging methods.

Branching ratios of autoionization from Eu 4f^76p_(1/2)6d [J] autoionizing states

The autoionization branching ratios from Eu 4f76p1/26 d [J] autoionizing states to its 4f76s+(9So), 4f76s+(7So), and4f75d+(9Do) final ionic states are investigated with the combination of the three-step laser excitation and the velocity-map imaging technique. These different autoionizing states are excited via 4f76s6d8 DJ [J = 5/2, 7/2, and 9/2] intermediate states, respectively. The experimental photoelectron images are obtained, from which energy distributions of ejected electrons are achieved with the mathematical transformation. Furthermore, the energy dependence of the branching ratio is investigated within the autoionization resonance, by which population inversion is observed as an important characteristic.The J-dependence is also studied systematically. The validity of the well-known isolated core excitation technique used for obtaining the autoionization spectrum is also studied.

ASYMPTOTIC PROPERTIES OF A BRANCHING RANDOM WALK WITH A RANDOM ENVIRONMENT IN TIME

We consider a branching random walk in an independent and identically distributed random environment ξ=(ξn) indexed by the time. Let W be the limit of the martingale Wn=∫e^-txZn(dx)/Eξ∫e^-txZn(dx), with Zn denoting the counting measure of particles of generation n, and Eξ the conditional expectation given the environment ξ. We find necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of quenched moments and weighted moments of W, when W is non-degenerate.

Dendritic branching patterns in platforms of complex Ni-based single crystal castings

Dendritic branching patterns at variable cross-sections in Ni-based single crystal(SX) castings of different generations were investigated using optical microscope(OM), electro probe microanalyzer(EPMA),differential scanning calorimeter(DSC), Thermo-Cal software and Pro-CAST software. Results show that the dendritic branching patterns are similar in outward platform in SXs of different generations. That is, the primary dendrites(PDs) are introduced into the platform by developing a series of secondary dendrites(SDs) to occupy the bottom of the platform, and the ternary dendrites(TDs) originating from these SDs grow upward to fill up the platform. With the SX generation increasing, the undercooling of melts in the inward platform increases significantly due to the increasing alloying elements and the segregation in the directional solidification(DS)process, and the growth velocity of the dendrite tip increases according to the dynamic model of dendrite growth,which is beneficial for the high-order dendrite development. The stronger dendritic branching ability is shown in the inward platform of the higher generation Ni-based SX.

Isolation and Functional Analysis of the Regulation of Branching by Isopentenyl Transferase Gene CmIPT1 in <i>Chrysanthemum morifolium </i>cv. ‘Jinba’

Today’s chrysanthemums are highly evolved flowering plants and they are considered as one of the most important ornamental cut flowers. In this research an isopentenyl transferase gene named CmIPT1 was isolated from Chrysanthemum morifolium cv. ‘Jinba’ using RACE and RT-PCR methods. The full cDNA sequence of CmIPT1 was 873 bp which encoded a deduced protein of 290 amino acids. It contained GxxGxGKS which is a conserved sequence of the typical domain of IPT family. The phylogenetic tree analysis of CmIPT1 in Chrysanthemum morifolium cv. ‘Jinba’ shows that it has the closest relationship with CcIPT1 in Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus. Expression of CmIPT1 was higher in stems and apex, whereas it was lower in leaves and roots. And the overexpression of CmIPT1 obviously increased the number of rosette branches in Arabidopsis. Here, in our study, we showed that CmIPT1 is a positive regulator of branch development in Chrysanthemum and may play a key role in regulating lateral branch formation of Chrysanthemum plants.

Molecular identification of the key starch branching enzyme-encoding gene SBE2.3 and its interacting transcription factors in banana fruits

Starch branching enzyme(SBE)has rarely been studied in common starchy banana fruits.For the first time,we report here the molecular characterization of seven SBE(MaSBE)and six SBE(MbSBE)genes in the banana A-and B-genomes,respectively,which could be classified into three distinct subfamilies according to genome-wide identification.Systematic transcriptomic analysis revealed that six MaSBEs and six MbSBEs were expressed in the developing banana fruits of two different genotypes,BaXi Jiao(BX,AAA)and Fen Jiao(FJ,AAB),among which MaSBE2.3 and MbSBE2.3 were highly expressed.Transient silencing of MaSBE2.3 expression in banana fruit discs led to a significant decrease in its transcription,which coincides with significant reductions in total starch and amylopectin contents compared to those of empty vector controls.The suggested functional role of MaSBE2.3 in banana fruit development was corroborated by its transient overexpression in banana fruit discs,which led to significant enhancements in total starch and amylopectin contents.A number of transcription factors,including three auxin response factors(ARF2/12/24)and two MYBs(MYB3/308),that interact with the MaSBE2.3 promoter were identified by yeast one-hybrid library assays.Among these ARFs and MYBs,MaARF2/MaMYB308 and MaARF12/MaARF24/MaMYB3 were demonstrated via a luciferase reporter system to upregulate and downregulate the expression of MaSBE2.3,respectively.

MOMENTS OF CONTINUOUS-STATE BRANCHING PROCESSES IN LéVY RANDOM ENVIRONMENTS

For continuous-state branching processes in Levy random environments, the recursion of n-moments and the equivalent condition for the existence of general f-moments are established, where f is a positive continuous function satisfying some standard conditions.

Occurrence characteristics of branching structures in equatorial plasma bubbles:a statistical study based on all-sky imagers in China

Branching structure(BS)is a very important phenomenon in the evolution of equatorial plasma bubbles(EPBs),the mechanism of which is widely studied from observation and from simulation.However,occurrence characteristics of branching structure of equatorial plasma bubbles(BSEPBs)have not been well addressed.In this work,we used seven-years(2012-2018)of observations from two all-sky imagers to study occurrence of BSEPBs in detail.These data reveal a high incidence of BS in EPB cases;in particular,most EPBs occurring on days with geomagnetic disturbances exhibited BS.Periods when all EPBs exhibited BS increased significantly in the 2014 solar maximum.Occurrence times of BSEPBs varied with local time;most of the BSEPBs began to appear between 21:00 and 22:00 LT.During the solar maximum,some BSEPBs were observed after midnight.The data also reveal that BSEPBs are characterized primarily by two branches or three branches.Multi-branching appeared only in the solar maximum.EPB events with different coexisting branching structures increased from 2012 to 2014 and decreased from 2014 to 2018.These results strongly suggest that BSEPB occurrence is related to solar activity and geomagnetic activity,and thus provide a new perspective for future studies of EPBs as well as enriching our understanding of ionospheric irregularity.

MOMENTS AND LARGE DEVIATIONS FOR SUPERCRITICAL BRANCHING PROCESSES WITH IMMIGRATION IN RANDOM ENVIRONMENTS

Let(Z_(n))be a branching process with immigration in a random environmentξ,whereξis an independent and identically distributed sequence of random variables.We show asymptotic properties for all the moments of Z_(n) and describe the decay rates of the n-step transition probabilities.As applications,a large deviation principle for the sequence log Z_(n) is established,and related large deviations are also studied.

CONSTRUCTION OF IMPROVED BRANCHING LATIN HYPERCUBE DESIGNS

In this paper,we propose a new method,called the level-collapsing method,to construct branching Latin hypercube designs(BLHDs).The obtained design has a sliced structure in the third part,that is,the part for the shared factors,which is desirable for the qualitative branching factors.The construction method is easy to implement,and(near)orthogonality can be achieved in the obtained BLHDs.A simulation example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the new designs.

SISTER OF TM3 activates FRUITFULL1 to regulate inflorescence branching in tomato

Selection for favorable inflorescence architecture to improve yield is one of the crucial targets in crop breeding.Different tomato varieties require distinct inflorescence-branching structures to enhance productivity.While a few important genes for tomato inflorescence-branching development have been identified,the regulatory mechanism underlying inflorescence branching is still unclear.Here,we confirmed that SISTER OF TM3(STM3),a homolog of Arabidopsis SOC1,is a major positive regulatory factor of tomato inflorescence architecture by map-based cloning.High expression levels of STM3 underlie the highly inflorescence-branching phenotype in ST024.STM3 is expressed in both vegetative and reproductive meristematic tissues and in leaf primordia and leaves,indicative of its function in flowering time and inflorescence-branching development.Transcriptome analysis shows that several floral development-related genes are affected by STM3 mutation.Among them,FRUITFULL1(FUL1)is downregulated in stm3cr mutants,and its promoter is bound by STM3 by ChIP-qPCR analysis.EMSA and dual-luciferase reporter assays further confirmed that STM3 could directly bind the promoter region to activate FUL1 expression.Mutation of FUL1 could partially restore inflorescence-branching phenotypes caused by high STM3 expression in ST024.Our findings provide insights into the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying inflorescence development in tomato.

Analysis of the role of branching angle in the dynamic rupture process on a 3-D branching fault system

The fault branching phenomenon,which may heavily influence the patterns of rupture propagation in fault systems,is one of the geometric complexities of fault systems that is widely observed in nature.In this study,we investigate the effect of the branching angle on the rupture inclination and the interaction between branch planes in two-fork branching fault systems by numerical simulation and theoretical analysis based on Mohr’s circle.A friction law dependent on normal stress is used,and special attention is paid to studying how ruptures on the upper and lower branch planes affect the stress and rupture on each other separately.The results show that the two branch planes affect each other in different patterns and that the intensity of the effect changes with the branching angle.The rupture of the lower branch plane has a negative effect on the rupture of the upper branch plane in the case of a small branching angle but has almost no negative effect in the case of a large branching angle.The rupture of the upper branch plane,however,suppresses the rupture of the lower branch plane regardless of whether the branching angle is large or small.

CHARACTERIZATION OF BRANCHING POINT DISTRIBUTION IN THE SOL OF IRRADIATED POLYSTYRENE WITH SEC-LALLS

In this paper, the change behavior of branching point distribution of irradiated polystyrene in sol has been first studied by the SEC-LALLS method. The experimental results show that branching parameter of the part with lower molecular weight in the sol changes little at the early stage of irradiation and that of the part with the higher molecular weight becomes greater with the increase in radiation dose.

INFLUENCES OF MOLECULAR WEIGHT AND BRANCHING PARAMETER OF LACQUER POLYSACCHARIDE ON THE GROWTH OF LEUCOCYTES

A method of determining branching parameter of lacquer polysaccharide wasestablished by acid-base back-titration of terminal uronic acid of branches. The branchingfactors obtained are in agreement with the values determined by colorimetric method withcarbazole and the results estimated by using Zimm-Stockmayer equation from viscositydata. Influences of molecular weights and branching factors of five fractions of lacquerpolysaccharide on the bioactivities were studied. The results show that the polysaccharideshave bioactivities in motivating the growth of leucocytes, and the effect increases with thedecrease of molecular weight and branching factor in the range studied (17×10~4 】M_w】4×10~4).

A LIMIT THEOREM FOR INTERACTING MEASURE-VALUED BRANCHING PROCESSES

It is well known that Fleming-Viot superprocesses can be obtained from the Dawson-Watanabe superprocesses by conditioning the latter to have constant total mass. The same question is investigated for measure-valued branching processes with interacting intensity independent of the geographical position. It is showed that a sequence of conditioned probability laws of this kind of interacting measure-valued branching processes also approximates to the probability law of Fleming-Viot superprocesses.

Change of substrate geometry and laminin density stimulates axon branching

Axon branching enables neurons to contact with multiple targets and respond to their microenvironment.Owing to its importance in neuronal network formation,axon branching has been studied extensively during the past decades.It is reported that ECM(Extra Cellular Matrix)components such as laminin,collagen,and tenascin regulate the morphology and motility of neuronal growth cones in culture,but the effects of their distribution and the change of density on axon branching are not well understood.We fabricated chemically homogeneous substrate by microcontact printing(μCP)and inhomogeneous substrate with different laminin density

Impact of alkyl chain branching positions on molecular packing and electron transport of dimeric perylenediimide derivatives

Side chains play a critical role in tuning intermolecular interaction and charge transport in organic semiconductors. Here, we have systematically investigated the impact of branching positions of the alkyl side chains on the molecular packing and electron transport properties of a series of bay-linked dimeric perylenediimide(PDI) derivatives by atomistic molecular dynamics simulations in combination with charge transfer rate theory and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that despite of different branching positions of the alkyl chains,π–π stacking is effectively inhibited for all the dimeric PDI derivatives. As the branching position moves away from the PDI backbone, the appearance of the alkyl atoms around the PDI backbone will first decrease and then increase. Correspondingly, the short contacts between the PDI moieties are first enhanced and then reduced. In particular, when the branching position is at the third carbon atom, the intermolecular connectivity becomes the most effective and the electron mobility is significantly increased by 2 times.

A FAMILY OF HIGH-ORDER ACCURACY EXPLICIT DIFFERENCE SCHEMES WITH BRANCHING STABILITY FOR SOLVING 3-D PARABOLIC PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION

A family of high_order accuracy explict difference schemes for solving 3_dimension parabolic P.D.E. is constructed. The stability condition is r= Δ t/ Δ x 2= Δ t/ Δ y 2= Δ t/ Δ z 2<1/2,and the truncation error is O( Δ t 2+ Δ x 4).

Agents in branching space-times

The aim of this essay Is to make some brief suggestions on the beginnings of a theory of agentsand agency In branching spacetlmes.foe thought Is to combine the ideas of agency as developed agalnst the relatively simple background of branching time with the richer notions of Indetermlnlsm asstructured In the theory of branching space-times.My plan Is to say a little about agency In branchingtime and a little about branchlg spacetlmes,and then ask how the two can be brought together.Atthe end there Is an ...