The NAC transcription factor LuNAC61 negatively regulates fiber development in flax (Linum usitatissimum L.)

Flax is a crucial fiber crop that exhibits excellent textile properties and serves as a model plant for investigating phloem fiber development. The regulation of multiple genes significantly influences fiber development, notably involving NAC(NAM, ATAF1/2, CUC2) transcription factors in forming the fiber secondary cell wall(SCW).Overexpression of LuNAC61 in flax resulted in sparse top meristematic zone leaves and significantly reduced stem cellulose content. Scanning electron microscopy and staining observations revealed a significant reduction in fiber bundles. β-Glucuronidase(GUS) staining analysis demonstrated high activity of the LuNAC61 promoter in the bast fibers of the flax stem. Additionally, several members of the LuPLATZ and LuCesA families exhibited significant coexpression with LuNAC61. Subcellular localization indicated the presence of LuPLATZ24 protein in the nucleus and cytoplasm, LuNAC61 protein exclusively in the nucleus, and LuCesA10 in the nucleus and endoplasmic reticulum. LuPLATZ24 positively regulates LuNAC61, whereas LuNAC61 negatively affects LuCesA10, suggesting the involvement of a metabolic network in regulating flax fiber development. In conclusion, this study provides a critical opportunity for a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the mechanisms governing flax fiber development and the potential use of biotechnology to enhance flax fiber yield.

Effectiveness of biofertilizers foliar application on yield and quality traits of flax(Linum usitatissimum L.)

Flax is considered to be one of the most significant dual-purpose crops for oil and fiber production in Egypt and worldwide.Biofertilizers have a substantial impact on various metabolic processes,including increased photo-synthesis,endogenous hormone levels,ion absorption,nucleic acid synthesis,and protein synthesis.These factors collectively contribute to the growth and development of plants.Therefore,this study aims to investigate how three biofertilizers(Algae extract,CMS as a by-product of yeast,and Metalosate multi minerals as amino acids)can enhance both the quantity and quality of flax seed yield under sandy soil conditions.Two field experiments were conducted at the Experimental Station of National Research Centre in Nubaria District,Behira Governorate,Egypt during two seasons(2021/2022)using a randomized complete block design(RCBD).The results revealed significant differences among all tested biofertilizers in terms of various characteristics studied in flax.Foliar application of algae extract at a rate of 1.50 mL/L resulted in an increase in seed yield(ton/ha)by 26.69%&19.89%,straw yield(ton/ha)by 8.08%&17.12%,and oil yield(kg/ha)by 47.72%&33.69%compared to the control group during both seasons respectively.Foliar applications of algae extract at a rate of 1.50 mL/L along with CMS at a rate of 5 m L/L and amino acids at a rate of 1.50 mL/L demonstrated significantly higher macronutrient contents(N,P,K),micronutrient contents(Fe,Zn,Mn),seed oil content,and protein content in flax seeds during both seasons.The highest values for seed oil content and protein content%were obtained through foliar application of amino acids at a rate of 1.50 mL/L.It can be concluded that foliar sprays with these bio-fertilizers effectively improved flax performance by increasing seed straw and oil yields,nutrients oil,protein and fatty acids seeds contents.

Sodium nitroprusside as a signal molecule for up-regulating membrane characteristics,antioxidant defense system to improve flax productivity under water stress

Water stress is a critical environmental adversity that significantly impacts the growth,development,and yield of flax plants.In this study,flax seeds were cultivated under different water irrigation requirements(WIR)(100%,75%,and 50%)to investigate the effects of exogenously supplied nitric oxide(NO)donor sodium nitroprusside(SNP)as foliar treatments at concentrations of 0.0 mmol/L,0.5 mmol/L,1.0 mmol/L,and 2.0 mmol/L.Drought stress led to a significant decrease in plant growth,photosynthetic pigments,yield components such as oil and total carbohydrate percentage.It also resulted in an increase in leaf H2O2 production,lipid peroxidation levels and activities of enzymatic antioxidants including polyphenol oxidase,superoxide dismutase,and nitrate reductase enzymes.However,foliar application of SNP improved photosynthetic pigments and antioxidant defense system which mitigated the negative impact of water stress on growth and yield productivity by reducing oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species accumulation.The use of SNP also decreased H_(2)O_(2) accumulation levels,lipid peroxidation levels,and improved membrane stability.SNP treatment at concentration of 2 mmol/L showed superior results compared to other concentrations with extremely significant increases observed in yield characteristics such as oil content,total carbohydrate percentages,and unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids ratio.

Study on the hydrogen absorption properties of a YGdTbDyHo rare-earth high-entropy alloy

This study investigated the microstructure and hydrogen absorption properties of a rare-earth high-entropy alloy(HEA),YGdTbDyHo.Results indicated that the YGdTbDyHo alloy had a microstructure of equiaxed grains,with the alloy elements distributed homogeneously.Upon hydrogen absorption,the phase structure of the HEA changed from a solid solution with an hexagonal-close-packed(HCP)structure to a high-entropy hydride with an faced-centered-cubic(FCC)structure without any secondary phase precipitated.The alloy demonstrated a maximum hydrogen storage capacity of 2.33 H/M(hydrogen atom/metal atom)at 723 K,with an enthalpy change(ΔH)of-141.09 kJ·mol^(-1)and an entropy change(ΔS)of-119.14 J·mol^(-1)·K^(-1).The kinetic mechanism of hydrogen absorption was hydride nucleation and growth,with an apparent activation energy(E_(a))of 20.90 kJ·mol^(-1).Without any activation,the YGdTbDyHo alloy could absorb hydrogen quickly(180 s at 923 K)with nearly no incubation period observed.The reason for the obtained value of 2.33 H/M was that the hydrogen atoms occupied both tetrahedral and octahedral interstices.These results demonstrate the potential application of HEAs as a high-capacity hydrogen storage material with a large H/M ratio,which can be used in the deuterium storage field.

Critical current degradation in an epoxy-impregnated rare-earth Ba_(2)Cu_(3)O_(7-x)coated conductor caused by damage during a quench

High-temperature superconducting(HTS)rare-earth Ba_(2)Cu_(3)O_(7-x)(REBCO)coated conductors(CCs)have significant potential in high-current and high-field applications.However,owing to the weak interface strength of the laminated composite REBCO CCs,the damage induced by the thermal mismatch stress under a combination of epoxy impregnation,cooling,and quenching can cause premature degradation of the critical current.In this study,a three-dimensional(3D)electromagnetic-thermal-mechanical model based on the H-formulation and cohesive zone model(CZM)is developed to study the critical current degradation characteristics in an epoxy-impregnated REBCO CC caused by the damage during a quench.The temperature variation,critical current degradation of the REBCO CC,and its degradation onset temperature calculated by the numerical model are in agreement with the experimental data taken from the literature.The delamination of the REBCO CC predicted by the numerical model is consistent with the experimental result.The numerical results also indicate that the shear stress is the main contributor to the damage propagation inside the REBCO CC.The premature degradation of the critical current during a quench is closely related to the interface shear strength inside the REBCO CC.Finally,the effects of the coefficient of thermal expansion(CTE)of the epoxy resin,thickness of the substrate,and substrate material on the critical current degradation characteristics of the epoxy-impregnated REBCO CC during a quench are also discussed.These results help us understand the relationship between the current-carrying degradation and damage in the HTS applications.

The strain rate sensitive and anisotropic behavior of rare-earth magnesium alloy ZEK100 sheet

To overcome the limitation in formability at room temperature,manufacturers have developed magnesium alloys with remarkable properties by adding rare-earth elements.The rare-earth magnesium alloys behave differently from the conventional alloys,especially with respect to their coupled anisotropic and strain rate sensitive behavior.In the current work,such behavior of the rare-earth Mg alloy ZEK100 sheet at room temperature is investigated with the aid of the elastic viscoplastic self-consistent polycrystal plasticity model.Different strain rate sensitivities(SRSs)for various deformation modes are employed by the model to simulate the strain rate sensitive behaviors under different loading directions and loading rates.Good agreement between the experiments and simulations reveals the importance and necessity of using different SRSs for each deformation mode in hexagonal close-packed metals.Furthermore,the relative activities of each deformation mode and the texture evolution during different loadings are discussed.The anisotropic and strain rate sensitive behavior is ascribed to the various operating deformation modes with different SRSs during loading along different directions.

Systematic analysis of MYB transcription factors and the role of LuMYB216 in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis in the flowers of flax(Linum usitatissimum L.)

Anthocyanin is an important pigment that affects plant color and nutritional quality.MYBs play an important role in plant anthocyanin synthesis and accumulation.However,the regulatory function of MYB transcription factors in anthocyanin synthesis in flax flowers is still unclear.In this study,402 MYB transcription factors were identified in the flax genome.These MYB members are unevenly distributed on 15 chromosomes.The R2R3-LuMYB members were divided into 32phylogenetic subfamilies.qRT-PCR analysis showed that seven R2R3-LuMYB genes in the adjacent subfamily of the evolutionary tree had similar expression patterns,among which Lu MYB216 was highly expressed in the petals of different colors.Moreover,gene editing of LuMYB216 in flax showed that the petal color,anther color and seed coat color of mutant plants were significantly lighter than those of wild-type plants,and the anthocyanin content of lumyb216 mutant plants was significantly reduced.Correlation analysis indicated that LuMYB216 was significantly positively correlated with the upstream regulator bHLH30.This study systematically analyzed the MYB gene family in flax,laying a foundation for studying the regulation of LuMYB216 in flax flower anthocyanin synthesis.

Experimental Testing of Cellular Construction Materials Containing Flax Particles

The feasibility of a sustainable non-autoclaved cellular concrete,based on flax vegetable co-products,for the production of usable specimen in the lightweight construction field,has been investigated experimentally.The produced specimen,containing various volume ratios of flax particles with respect to preformulatd Tradical PF70 lime binder of 0,1,and 2,were lightened by creating a porous structure in the matrix through the addition of 0.3%wt.Aluminium powder(able to react with calcium hydroxide from the binder and result in microscopic air-bubbles).Fresh and hardened specimen properties,including hydration,fresh density,porosity,hardened density,compressive and flexural strengths,toughness energy,and dry thermal conductivity at different temperatures,were assessed for varying flax-to-binder ratios.Results have shown that the addition of Aluminum powder leads to restrain the setting time delay of binder-based lime.Moreover,the hardened material displays a significant decrease in specimen density,thereby resulting in a compressive strength level compatible with that required in the cellular construction materials sector.Results also highlighted the ability of added flax to induce a change in the specimen from brittle to ductile behavior.Moreover,a high degree of thermal insulation can be achieved,which makes the cellular specimen based on flax particle suitable as insulated-bearing walls material.

Preparation and Investigation of Mechanical and Physical Properties of Flax/Glass Fabric Reinforced Polymer Hybrid Composites

Synthetic reinforced composites affect the environment adversely and have become a global concern, causing increased natural composite demand for sustainability and cost effectiveness. Glass is a popular material that is highly consumed in reinforced composites for its superior mechanical strength. As opposed to that, flax obtained from flax stalks can be used as an alternative reinforcing material with synthetic fibers to minimize manmade fiber consumption. Hence, this research work addresses a few flax/glass-reinforced hybrid composites by using a thermoset polyester matrix. Here, six categories of samples are made, like neat flax, neat glass, and flax/glass fabric reinforced hybrid composite, followed by different stacking layer sequences and hand layout techniques during processing. Afterwards, the mechanical behavior, thermal stability, morphological behavior, and water absorption of hybrid samples were investigated. Among the developed samples, neat glass (NG) composite exhibits superior mechanical properties, while neat flax (NF) shows the lowest result. It is apparent that the mechanical properties and thermal stability of hybrid samples are in between NF and NG because, by adding glass with flax fabric, the strength of hybrid samples is increased. Moreover, it is noticeable that, due to multiple stacking layers of flax and glass, hybrid 3 and hybrid 4 show better strength than consecutive single stacking layers in hybrid 1 and hybrid 2. Among all hybrid composites, the H4 shows comparatively better mechanical and thermal properties due to having the glass layers on the outermost surface. In summary, this research work demonstrated the feasibility of flax fabric with glass fabric as a reinforced hybrid composite that can be used in automobile inner bodies, household furnishing, and home interior decoration.

Preparation and Investigation of Mechanical and Physical Properties of Flax/Glass Fabric Reinforced Polymer Hybrid Composites

Synthetic reinforced composites affect the environment adversely and have become a global concern, causing increased natural composite demand for sustainability and cost effectiveness. Glass is a popular material that is highly consumed in reinforced composites for its superior mechanical strength. As opposed to that, flax obtained from flax stalks can be used as an alternative reinforcing material with synthetic fibers to minimize manmade fiber consumption. Hence, this research work addresses a few flax/glass-reinforced hybrid composites by using a thermoset polyester matrix. Here, six categories of samples are made, like neat flax, neat glass, and flax/glass fabric reinforced hybrid composite, followed by different stacking layer sequences and hand layout techniques during processing. Afterwards, the mechanical behavior, thermal stability, morphological behavior, and water absorption of hybrid samples were investigated. Among the developed samples, neat glass (NG) composite exhibits superior mechanical properties, while neat flax (NF) shows the lowest result. It is apparent that the mechanical properties and thermal stability of hybrid samples are in between NF and NG because, by adding glass with flax fabric, the strength of hybrid samples is increased. Moreover, it is noticeable that, due to multiple stacking layers of flax and glass, hybrid 3 and hybrid 4 show better strength than consecutive single stacking layers in hybrid 1 and hybrid 2. Among all hybrid composites, the H4 shows comparatively better mechanical and thermal properties due to having the glass layers on the outermost surface. In summary, this research work demonstrated the feasibility of flax fabric with glass fabric as a reinforced hybrid composite that can be used in automobile inner bodies, household furnishing, and home interior decoration.

Leaching behaviors of iron and aluminum elements of ion-absorbed-rare-earth ore with a new impurity depressant

Ion-absorbed rare-earth ore is an important mineral resource which is widely extracted by in-situ leaching process. And such process generates a significant amount of impurities such as aluminum and iron ions in leaching solution simultaneously. The surface characteristics and interactions by infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were studied to optimize the leaching conditions. It is found that the environment-friendly depressant LG-01 can react with the impurity ions through the formation of a new complex on the surface of leaching residues. Thus, it reduces significantly the concentration of impurity ions in leaching solution and improves the leaching rate of rare-earth ore. Moreover, a leaching rate of 95.6% and an impurity removal rate of 92% have been achieved under the optimized conditions.

An Overview on Molecular Biology of Flax(Linum usitatissimum L.) in China

The advances in molecular biology research of flax （Linum usitatissimum L.）, including DNA extraction, gene cloning and transformation, molecular markers, molecular identity, genetic diversity analysis, construction of genetic linkage map etc. were summarized in this article. Meanwhile, some problems existing in flax breeding, cultivation and germplasm classification were pointed out, including less developed molecular markers, lack of target genes and usable markers, genetic linkage map covering less genome, less research on molecular biology and so on. Five constructive suggestions were finally proposed in this article to provide reference for molecular biology research and development of Chinese flax.

Recent developments and applications on high-performance cast magnesium rare-earth alloys

During the past decades,with the increasing demands in lightweight structural materials,Mg alloys with low density and high performance have been extensively investigated and partly applied in some industries.Especially when rare earth(RE)elements are added as major alloying elements to Mg alloys,the alloy strength and creep resistance are greatly improved,which have promoted several series of Mg-RE alloys.This paper reviews the progress and developments of high-performance Mg-RE alloys in recent years with emphasis on cast alloys.The main contents include the alloy design,melt purification,grain refinement,castability,novel liquid casting and semisolid forming approaches,and the industrial applications or trials made of Mg-RE alloys.The review will provide insights for future developments of new alloys,techniques and applications of Mg alloys.

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.

The Role of Humic Acid and Proline on Growth, Chemical Constituents and Yield Quantity and Quality of Three Flax Cultivars Grown under Saline Soil Conditions

In order to mitigate the salinity effects on flax grown on moderate saline sandy soil (3275 - 3430 ppm) and irrigated with moderate saline water (2300 - 2460 ppm) field experiments were carried out at the experimental Station of the Faculty of Agriculture, Wadi El-Natrun district El-Behera Governorate—Egypt, during two successive winter seasons of 2012/2013 and 2013/2014. Three flax varieties (Opal, Giza-8 and Mayic) were grown and treated with some chemical additives humic acid (50 kg/fed) and/or foliar applied proline (Control, 50 and 100 mg/L). The results showed the positive responses of Giza-8 variety to the combined application of humic acid and proline and mitigated the salinity effects of soil and irrigation water and reflected on most of the studied characters. Such results indicate the potentiality of mitigation the hazardous effect of salinity with these chemical additives. The data indicated that the highest seed yield, straw yield and oil yield were obtained at humic acid (50 kg/fed) with foliar treatment of proline at rate of (100 mg/L). The interaction of proline at (100 mg/L) with humic acid at rate of (50 kg/fed) improved plant fresh and dry weight in all flax cultivars under salinity conditions. Fresh weight increased by 66.6%, 48.7% and 65.5% over controls for Opal, Giza-8 and Mayic varieties, respectively. The interaction of proline at (100 mg/L) with humic acid at rate of (50 kg/fed) with Giza-8 variety gave the highest values of seed yield, straw yield and oil yield.

Advance in the chemical synthesis and magnetic properties of nanostructured rare-earth-based permanent magnets

Rare-earth-based permanent magnets are one of the most important magnets in both scientific and industrial fields. With the development of technology, nanostructured rarearth-based permanent magnets with high energy products are highly required. In this article, we will review the progress in chemical synthetic strategies of nanostructured rare-earth-based permanent magnets.

Research Status of Molecular Biology in Flax

Flax is a kind of worldwide fiber and oil crops, and it has a very important role in economic crop production in the world. With the development of molecular biology techniques, the research of flax molecular level has a very big breakthrough. But, flax molecular biology researches are less reported due to the later starting. This paper summarized the latest research progress of molecular biology of flax, including molecular marker technology, construction of genetic map, gene engineering and omits researches, in order to provide the reference to understand the development and research status for flax molecular breeding researchers.

Production of Pectinolytic Enzymes by Two Bacillus spp. Strains and Their Application in Flax Degumming

This study demonstrated that Bacillus licheniformis HDYM-03 and Bacillus megaterium HDYM-09, isolated from a liquid sample of fl ax retting pool, were able to produce pectinolytic enzymes using polysaccharides as substrates. Bacillus megaterium HDYM-09 produced pectin lyase that exhibited the highest activity of 2116.71 ± 11.55 U/mL. Bacillus licheniformis HDYM-03 produced pectate lyase that exhibited the highest activity of 611.21 ± 14.54 U/mL. Based on these fi ndings, we constructed four retting systems to degrade the pectin substance. The results showed that the content of galacturonic acid in the mixed system was 529.21 μg/mL, the content of reducing sugar was 98.14 mg/mL, and the weight loss ratio of cells reached 19.49%, which were signifi cantly higher than those in other systems. The mixed system has more advantages, and the utilization rate of degumming was higher, which further ensured that the degumming can be carried out effi ciently and quickly. The mixed system exhibits feasible applications in the fi ber and textile industry.

Component Content Soft-sensor Based on Neural Networks in Rare-earth Countercurrent Extraction Process

Throught fusion of the mechanism modeling and the neural networks modeling,a compo- nent content soft-sensor,which is composed of the equilibrium calculation model for multi-component rare earth extraction and the error compensation model of fuzzy system,is proposed to solve the prob- lem that the component content in countercurrent rare-earth extraction process is hardly measured on-line.An industry experiment in the extraction Y process by HAB using this hybrid soft-sensor proves its effectiveness.

Setting kinetics and mechanical properties of flax fibre reinforced glass ionomer restorative materials

Regardless of the excellent properties of glass ionomer cements,their poor mechanical properties limit their applications to non-load bearing areas.This study aimed to investigate the effect of incorporated short,chopped and randomly distributed flax fibers（0,0.5,1,2.5,5 and 25 wt%） on setting reaction kinetics,and mechanical and morphological properties of glass ionomer cements.Addition of flax fibers did not significantly affect the setting reaction extent.According to their content,flax fibers increased the compressive（from 148 to 250 MPa） and flexure strength（from 20 to 42 MPa）.They also changed the brittle behavior of glass ionomer cements to a plastic one.They significantly reduced the compressive（from 3 to 1.3 GPa） and flexure modulus（from 19 to 14 GPa）.Accordingly,flax fiber-modified glass ionomer cements could be potentially used in high-stress bearing areas.