Agape:完美的秘密

Agape在意大利语中的含义是上帝创造并赋予人类的无限的爱。有人说"上帝存在于细节之中",长期以来,Agape如同浴室中的女神,以优雅简约的产品创造出宁静舒适、卓于细节的浴室产品及空间。与其说Agape是一个出色的卫浴品牌,倒不如说这是一个设计公司。与意大利众多品牌类似,Agape也是一个家族品牌。弟弟Emanuele自1990年开始,便一直担任公司的CEO。

Application of near-infrared spectroscopy for fast germplasm analysis and classification in multi-environment using intact-seed peanut(Arachis hypogaea L.)

Peanut is a worldwide oilseed crop and the need to assess germplasm in a non-destructive manner is important for seed nutritional breeding.In this study,Near Infrared Spectroscopy(NIRS)was applied to rapidly assess germplasm variability from whole seed of 699 samples,field-collected and assembled in four genetic and environmentbased sets:one set of 300 varieties of a core-collection and three sets of 133 genotypes of an interspecific population,evaluated in three environments in a large spatial scale of two countries,Mbalmayo and Bafia in Cameroon and Nioro in Senegal,under rainfed conditions.NIR elemental spectra were gathered on six subsets of seeds of each sample,after three rotation scans,with a spectral resolution of 16 cm-1over the spectral range of867 nm to 2530 nm.Spectra were then processed by principal component analysis(PCA)coupled with Partial least squares-discriminant analysis(PLS-DA).As results,a huge variability was found between varieties and genotypes for all NIR wavelength within and between environments.The magnitude of genetic variation was particularly observed at 11 relevant wavelengths such as 1723 nm,usually related to oil content and fatty acid composition.PCA yielded the most chemical attributes in three significant PCs(i.e.,eigenvalues>10),which together captured 93%of the total variation,revealing genetic and environment structure of varieties and genotypes into four clusters,corresponding to the four samples sets.The pattern of genetic variability of the interspecific population covers,remarkably half of spectrum of the core-collection,turning out to be the largest.Interestingly,a PLS-DA model was developed and a strong accuracy of 99.6%was achieved for the four sets,aiming to classify each seed sample according to environment origin.The confusion matrix achieved for the two sets of Bafia and Nioro showed 100%of instances classified correctly with 100%at both sensitivity and specificity,confirming that their seed quality was different from each other and all other samples.Overall,NIRS chemometrics is useful to assess and distinguish seeds from different environments and highlights the value of the interspecific population and core-collection,as a source of nutritional diversity,to support the breeding efforts.

First Report of a Successful Development of Yam Hybrids(Dioscorea alata L.)from Lyophilized and Long-Term Stored Pollens

Various biological constraints including erratic and asynchronous flowering between male and female plants hinder successful hybrid development and genetic gains in greater yam breeding programs.Therefore,pollen storage has gained much attention to facilitate artificial pollinations and increase the genetic gains.This 4-year study aimed at developing a practical long-term pollen storage technique for the successful development of yam hybrids.Fresh pollens were collected from two Dioscorea alata males,then lyophilized(two lyophilization treatments were applied),followed by storage at room temperature(24℃–25℃)for 12 months.Moreover,the lyophilized and stored pollens were tested for viability by crossing with four female varieties.Our results showed that lyophilization is effective for achieving viable pollens after 12 months of storage.Treatment 1(48 h drying)showed higher pollen germination and fertility rates than Treatment 2(72 h drying).Although we observed a reduction in viability of lyophilized pollens after 12 months of storage,we generated hybrid seedlings with success rates from 12%to 21%compared to 21%–31%when using fresh pollens.Paternity testing based on molecular genotyping confirmed the hybrid status of the obtained seedlings,which grew well in a greenhouse.Lyophilization is a practical approach for a long-term storage of greater yam pollen samples.This protocol will positively impact yam breeding programs particularly in developing countries.

Antioxidant lignans sesamin and sesamolin in sesame(Sesamum indicum L.):a comprehensive review and future prospects

Sesame(Sesamum indicum L.)is a significantly lucrative cash crop for millions of small-holder farmers.Its seeds are an important source of a highly appreciated vegetable oil globally and two clinically essential antioxidant lignans,sesamin and sesamolin.Accordingly,many countries import millions of tons of sesame seed every year.The demand for lignan-rich sesame seeds has been increasing in recent years due to the continuous discovery of several pharmacological attributes of sesamin and sesamolin.To meet this demand,the sesame breeder’s primary objective is to release sesame cultivars that are enriched in oil and lignans.Thus,it is necessary to summarize the information related to the sesamin and sesamolin contents in sesame in order to promote the joint efforts of specialized research teams on this important oilseed crop.In this article,we present the current knowledge on the sesamin and sesamolin contents in S.indicum L.with respect to the updated biosynthesis pathway,associated markers,governing loci,available variability in sesame germplasm,the in planta potential roles of these compounds in sesame,and the newly discovered pharmacological attributes.In addition,we propose and discuss some required studies that might facilitate genomics-assisted breeding of high lignan content sesame varieties.

Large scale genetic landscape and population structure of Ethiopian sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) germplasm revealed through molecular marker analysis

Sesame(Sesamum indicum L.) plays a crucial role in Ethiopian agriculture,serving both subsistence and commercial purposes.However,our understanding of the extensive genetic diversity and population structure of Ethiopian sesame remains limited.To address this knowledge gap,we genotyped 368 Ethiopian sesame germplasms,categorizing into four distinct breeding groups:Accessions,landraces,improved varieties,and wild types,using a comprehensive set of 28 polymorphic markers,including 23 simple sequence repeat(SSR) and five Insertion-Deletion(InDel) markers.These markers ensured robust genomic representation,with at least two markers per linkage group.Our results unveiled substantial genetic diversity,identifying a total of 535 alleles across all accessions.On average,each locus displayed 8.83 alleles,with observed and expected heterozygosity values of 0.30 and 0.36,respectively.Gene Diversity and Polymorphic Information Content(PIC) were recorded at 0.37 and 0.35.The percentage of polymorphic loci varied significantly among breeding groups,ranging from8.00% to 82.40%,indicating high diversity in accessions(82.4%),moderate diversity in improved varieties(31.20%) and landraces(29.60%),and limited diversity in wild types(8.00).Analysis of Molecular Variance(AMOVA) results emphasized significant genetic differentiation among populations,with substantial diversity(P<0.001) within each population.Approximately 8% of the entire genetic diversity could be attributed to distinctions among populations,while the larger proportion of genetic diversity(92%) resided within each individual sesame population,showcasing heightened diversity within each group.Our study’s findings received support from both Bayesian clustering and Neighbor-joining(NJ) analysis,reaffirming the credibility of our genetic structure insights.Notably,Population structure analysis at its highest Δk value(k=2) revealed the existence of two primary genetic clusters,further subdivided into four sub-populations at k=4.Similarly,NJ analysis identified two prominent clusters,each displaying additional sub-clustering.In conclusion,our research provides a comprehensive understanding of genetic groups,subpopulations,and overall diversity within Ethiopian sesame populations.These findings underscore the significant genetic diversity and population structure within Ethiopian sesame germplasm collections.This genetic richness holds promise for breeding and conservation efforts,highlighting the importance of preserving genetic diversity to ensure adaptation to changing environments and meet the needs of farmers and consumers.

Genome-wide analysis of the barley non-specific lipid transfer protein gene family

Non-specific lipid transfer proteins(nsLTPs) are small, basic proteins that are characterized by an eight-cysteine motif. The biological functions of these proteins have been reported to involve plant reproduction and biotic or abiotic stress response. With the completion of the barley genome sequence, a genome-wide analysis of nsLTPs in barley(Hordeum vulgare L.)(HvLTPs) will be helpful for understanding the function of nsLTPs in plants. We performed a genome-wide analysis of the nsLTP gene family in barley and identified 70 nsLTP genes,which can be divided into five types(1, 2, C, D, and G). Each type of nsLTPs shares similar exon and intron gene structures. Expression analysis showed that barley nsLTPs have diverse expression patterns, revealing their various roles. Our results shed light on the phylogenetic relationships and potential functions of barley nsLTPs and will be useful for future studies of barley development and molecular breeding.

Transcripts switched off at the stop of phloem unloading highlight the energy efficiency of sugar import in the ripening V. vinifera fruit

Transcriptomic changes at the cessation of sugar accumulation in the pericarp of Vitis vinifera were addressed on single berries re-synchronised according to their individual growth patterns.The net rates of water,sugars and K+accumulation inferred from individual growth and solute concentration confirmed that these inflows stopped simultaneously in the ripe berry,while the small amount of malic acid remaining at this stage was still being oxidised at low rate.Re-synchronised individual berries displayed negligible variations in gene expression among triplicates.RNA-seq studies revealed sharp reprogramming of cell-wall enzymes and structural proteins at the stop of phloem unloading,associated with an 80%repression of multiple sugar transporters and aquaporins on the plasma or tonoplast membranes,with the noticeable exception of H^(+)/sugar symporters,which were rather weakly and constitutively expressed.This was verified in three genotypes placed in contrasted thermo-hydric conditions.The prevalence of SWEET suggests that electrogenic transporters would play a minor role on the plasma membranes of SE/CC complex and the one of the flesh,while sucrose/H+exchangers dominate on its tonoplast.Cis-regulatory elements present in their promoters allowed to sort these transporters in different groups,also including specific TIPs and PIPs paralogs,and cohorts of cell wall-related genes.Together with simple thermodynamic considerations,these results lead to propose that H^(+)/sugar exchangers at the tonoplast,associated with a considerably acidic vacuolar pH,may exhaust cytosolic sugars in the flesh and alleviate the need for supplementary energisation of sugar transport at the plasma membrane.

Multi-scale high-throughput phenotyping of apple architectural and functional traits in orchard reveals genotypic variability under contrasted watering regimes

Despite previous reports on the genotypic variation of architectural and functional traits in fruit trees,phenotyping large populations in the field remains challenging.In this study,we used high-throughput phenotyping methods on an apple tree core-collection(1000 individuals)grown under contrasted watering regimes.First,architectural phenotyping was achieved using T-LiDAR scans for estimating convex and alpha hull volumes and the silhouette to total leaf area ratio(STAR).Second,a semi-empirical index(IPL)was computed from chlorophyll fluorescence measurements,as a proxy for leaf photosynthesis.Last,thermal infrared and multispectral airborne imaging was used for computing canopy temperature variations,water deficit,and vegetation indices.All traits estimated by these methods were compared to low-throughput in planta measurements.Vegetation indices and alpha hull volumes were significantly correlated with tree leaf area and trunk cross sectional area,while IPL values showed strong correlations with photosynthesis measurements collected on an independent leaf dataset.By contrast,correlations between stomatal conductance and canopy temperature estimated from airborne images were lower,emphasizing discrepancies across measurement scales.High heritability values were obtained for almost all the traits except leaf photosynthesis,likely due to large intra-tree variation.Genotypic means were used in a clustering procedure that defined six classes of architectural and functional combinations.Differences between groups showed several combinations between architectural and functional traits,suggesting independent genetic controls.This study demonstrates the feasibility and relevance of combining multi-scale high-throughput methods and paves the way to explore the genetic bases of architectural and functional variations in woody crops in field conditions.

Using Earth’s Moon as a Testbed for Quantifying the Effect of the Terrestrial Atmosphere

In the past, the planetary radiation balance served to quantify the atmospheric greenhouse effect by the difference between the globally averaged near-surface temperature of and the respective effective radiation temperature of the Earth without atmosphere of resulting in . Since such a “thought experiment” prohibits any rigorous assessment of its results, this study considered the Moon as a testbed for the Earth in the absence of its atmosphere. Since the angular velocity of Moon’s rotation is 27.4 times slower than that of the Earth, the forcing method, the force-restore method, and a multilayer-force-restore method, used in climate modeling during the past four decades, were alternatively applied to address the influence of the angular velocity in determining the Moon’s globally averaged skin (or slab) temperature, . The multilayer-force-restore method always provides?the highest values for , followed by the force-restore method and the forcing method, but the differences are marginal. Assuming a solar albedo of , a relative emissivity , and a solar constant of and applying the multilayer-force-restore method yielded and for the Moon. Using the same values for α, ε, and S, but assuming the Earth’s angular velocity for the Moon yielded and quantifying the effect of the terrestrial atmosphere by . A sensitivity study for a solar albedo of commonly assumed for the Earth in the absence of its atmosphere yielded , , and . This means that the atmospheric effect would be more than twice as large as the aforementioned difference of 33 K. To generalize the findings, twelve synodic months (i.e., 354 Earth days) and 365 Earth days, where , a Sun-zenith-distance dependent solar albedo, and the variation of the solar radiation in dependence of the actual orbit position and the tilt angle of the corresponding rotation axis to the ecliptic were considered. The case of Moon’s true angular velocity yielded and . Whereas Earth’s 27.4 times higher angular velocity yielded , and . In both cases, the effective radiation temperature is ,?because the computed global albedo is . Thus, the effective radiation temperature yields flawed results when used for quantifying the atmospheric greenhouse effect.

Meridional Distributions of Historical Zonal Averages and Their Use to Quantify the Global and Spheroidal Mean Near-Surface Temperature of the Terrestrial Atmosphere

The zonal averages of temperature (the so-called normal temperatures) for numerous parallels of latitude published between 1852 and 1913 by Dove, Forbes, Ferrel, Spitaler, Batchelder, Arrhenius, von Bezold, Hopfner, von Hann, and B&ouml;rnstein were used to quantify the global (spherical) and spheroidal mean near-surface temperature of the terrestrial atmosphere. Only the datasets of Dove and Forbes published in the 1850s provided global averages below 〈T〉=14°C, mainly due to the poor coverage of the Southern Hemisphere by observations during that time. The global averages derived from the distributions of normal temperatures published between 1877 and 1913 ranged from 〈T〉=14.0°C (Batchelder) to 〈T〉=15.1°C (Ferrel). The differences between the global and the spheroidal mean near-surface air temperature are marginal. To examine the uncertainty due to interannual variability and different years considered in the historic zonal mean temperature distributions, the historical normal temperatures were perturbed within ±2σ to obtain ensembles of 50 realizations for each dataset. Numerical integrations of the perturbed distributions indicate uncertainties in the global averages in the range of ±0.3°C to ±0.6°C and depended on the number of available normal temperatures. Compared to our results, the global mean temperature of 〈T〉=15.0°C published by von Hann in 1897 and von Bezold in 1901 and 1906 is notably too high, while 〈T〉=14.4°C published by von Hann in 1908 seems to be more adequate within the range of uncertainty. The HadCRUT4 record provided 〈T〉≌?13.7°C for 1851-1880 and 〈T〉=13.6°C for 1881-1910. The Berkeley record provided 〈T〉=13.6°C and 〈T〉≌?13.5°C for these periods, respectively. The NASA GISS record yielded 〈T〉=13.6°C for 1881-1910 as well. These results are notably lower than those based on the historic zonal means. For 1991-2018, the HadCRUT4, Berkeley, and NASA GISS records provided 〈T〉=14.4°C, 〈T〉=14.5°C, and 〈T〉=14.5°C, respectively. The comparison of the 1991-2018 globally averaged near-surface temperature with those derived from distributions of zonal temperature averages for numerous parallels of latitude suggests no change for the past 100 years.

On the Solar Climate of the Moon and the Resulting Surface Temperature Distribution

The solar climate of our Moon is analyzed using the results of numerical simulations and the recently released data of the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment (DLRE) to assess (a) the resulting distribution of the surface temperature, (b) the related global mean surface temperature Ts>, and (c) the effective radiation temperature Te often considered as a proxy for Ts> of rocky planets and/or their natural satellites, where Te is based on the global radiation budget of the well-known “thought model” of the Earth in the absence of its atmosphere. Because the Moon consists of similar rocky material like the Earth, it comes close to this thought model. However, the Moon’s astronomical features (e.g., obliquity, angular velocity of rotation, position relative to the disc of the solar system) differ from that of the Earth. Being tidally locked to the Earth, the Moon’s orbit around the Sun shows additional variation as compared to the Earth’s orbit. Since the astronomical parameters affect the solar climate, we predicted the Moon’s orbit coordinates both relative to the Sun and the Earth for a period of 20 lunations starting May 24, 2009, 00:00 UT1 with the planetary and lunar ephemeris DE430 of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology. The results revealed a mean heliocentric distance for the Moon and Earth of 1.00124279 AU and 1.00166376 AU, respectively. The mean geocentric distance of the Moon was 384792 km. The synodic and draconic months deviated from their respective means in a range of -5.7 h to 6.9 h and ±3.4 h, respectively. The deviations of the anomalistic months from their mean range between -2.83 d and 0.97 d with the largest negative deviations occurring around the points of inflection in the curve that represents the departure of the synodic month from its mean. Based on the two successive passages of the Sun through the ascending node of the lunar equator plane, the time interval between them corresponds to 347.29 days, i.e., it is slightly longer than the mean draconic year of 346.62 days. We computed the local solar insolation as input to the multilayer-force restore method of Kramm et al. (2017) that is based on the local energy budget equation. Due to the need to spin up the distribution of the regolith temperature to equilibrium, analysis of the model results covers only the last 12 lunations starting January 15, 2010, 07:11 UT1. The predicted slab temperatures, Tslab, considered as the realistic surface temperatures, follow the bolometric temperatures, Tbol, acceptably. According to all 24 DLRE datasets related to the subsolar longitude øss, the global averages of the bolometric temperature amounts to Tbol=201.1k± 0.6K. Based on the globally averaged emitted infrared radiation of FIR>=290.5W·m-2± 3.0W·m-2 derived from the 24 DLRE datasets, the effective radiative temperature of the Moon is Te, M>=Tbol>1/4=271.0k± 0.7K so that Tbol>≅0.742Te, M. The DLRE observations suggest that in the case of rocky planets and their natural satellites, the globally averaged surface temperature is notably lower than the effective radiation temperature. They differ by a factor that depends on the astronomical parameters especially on the angular velocity of rotation.

Impact of Natural Selection on Lignin and Cellulose Candidate Genes in a Natural Population of <i>Eucalyptus urophylla</i>

Wood plays a major role in land ecosystems and in human activity. Better understanding the genetic basis and evolutionary implication of wood variability are thus key issues with both ecological and economical implications. The present paper addresses the question of the extending and the nature of natural selection on wood related genes in Eucalyptus urophylla, a tropical tree species with key economical importance. We conducted a genetic study on an E. urophylla population from Timor Island using a set of 17 SSR characterized on a main sample of 43 individuals and six candidate genes sequenced on a subset of 18 individuals. The candidate genes include three cellulose synthase genes (EuCesA1, EuCesA2 and EuCesA3), and three genes involved in lignin synthesis (EuCAD2, EuC4H1 and EuC4H2). Based on SSR data, the investigated population appeared to have no structure and have undergone past population expansion. Accounting for this demographic history, we were able to draw neutral expectation for polymorphism distribution on candidate genes and to determine their potential selective status. We hence identified two gene portions exhibiting unexpected polymorphism pattern, consistent with natural selection imprint.

Genome-Wide Association Study of Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Agronomic Traits in Upland Rice

Genome-wide association study(GWAS)was performed for 16 agronomic traits including nitrogen use efficiency(NUE)and yield-related components using a panel of 190 mainly japonica rice varieties and a set of 38390 single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)markers.This panel was evaluated under rainfed upland conditions in Madagascar in two consecutive cropping seasons with two contrasted nitrogen input levels.Using another set of five grain traits,we identified previously known genes(GW5,GS3,Awn1 and Glabrous1),thus validating the pertinence and accuracy of our datasets for GWAS.A total of 369 significant associations were detected between SNPs and agronomic traits,gathered into 46 distinct haplotype groups and 28 isolated markers.Few association signals were identified for the complex quantitative trait NUE,however,larger number of quantitative trait loci(QTLs)were detected for its component traits,with 10 and 2 association signals for nitrogen utilization efficiency and nitrogen uptake efficiency,respectively.Several detected association signals co-localized with genes involved in nitrogen transport or nitrogen remobilization within 100 kb.The present study thus confirmed the potential of GWAS to identify candidate genes and new loci associated with agronomic traits.However,because of the quantitative and complex nature of NUE-related traits,GWAS might have not captured a large number of QTLs with limited effects.

On the Maximum of Wind Power Efficiency

In our paper we demonstrate that the filtration equation used by Gorban’ et al. for determining the maximum efficiency of plane propellers of about 30 percent for free fluids plays no role in describing the flows in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) because the ABL is mainly governed by turbulent motions. We also demonstrate that the stream tube model customarily applied to derive the Rankine-Froude theorem must be corrected in the sense of Glauert to provide an appropriate value for the axial velocity at the rotor area. Including this correction leads to the Betz-Joukowsky limit, the maximum efficiency of 59.3 percent. Thus, Gorban’ et al.’s 30% value may be valid in water, but it has to be discarded for the atmosphere. We also show that Joukowsky’s constant circulation model leads to values of the maximum efficiency which are higher than the Betz-Jow-kowsky limit if the tip speed ratio is very low. Some of these values, however, have to be rejected for physical reasons. Based on Glauert’s optimum actuator disk, and the results of the blade-element analysis by Okulov and S&oslashrensen we also illustrate that the maximum efficiency of propeller-type wind turbines depends on tip-speed ratio and the number of blades.

Variability and Synchronism of Leaf Appearance and Leaf Elongation Rates of Eleven Contrasting Rice Genotypes

Leaf appearance and leaf elongation rates in rice play an essential role in determining the development of the plants’ architecture which affects their adaptability to varying environments. This study aimed to characterize the rates of leaf appearance and elongation on all leaves of the main culms of rice plants for 11 contrasting varieties and to determine if the decrease in the leaf appearance rate was related to a simultaneous decrease in the rate of leaf elongation. Forty four 13-L pots were sown with one plant from one genotype and laid out in 4 randomized complete blocks. The experiment, conducted inside a greenhouse, was repeated twice. The increase in length of the leaves expanding on the main stems was monitored daily until flag leaf. Data were used to estimate the rates of leaf appearance and leaf elongation. Significant variability in the rate of leaf appearance, rate of leaf elongation, and leaf length was found across varieties. The kinetics of leaf appearance had linear phases intermediated by a curvilinear phase, without sharp changes in the phyllochron duration. Maximal leaf elongation rate (LER) of all genotypes (except for one) increased linearly with leaf rank until it reached its maximum value at leaf 8 to 10 (11 - 12 for Azucena) where it stabilized before decreasing linearly with leaf rank for the last leaves. Finally, both rates of leaf appearance and leaf elongation evolved with time more smoothly than expected so no sharp decrease in LER occurred at the time of the decrease in leaf appearance rate of the last leaves. However, the trilinear model fits the data well enough to remain useful in efficiently comparing the leaf appearance kinetics of contrasting varieties.

Wind Power Potential in Interior Alaska from a Micrometeorological Perspective

The wind power potential in Interior Alaska is evaluated from a micrometeorological perspective. Based on the local balance equation of momentum and the equation of continuity we derive the local balance equation of kinetic energy for macroscopic and turbulent systems, and in a further step, Bernoulli’s equation and integral equations that customarily serve as the key equations in momentum theory and blade-element analysis, where the Lanchester-Betz-Joukowsky limit, Glauert’s optimum actuator disk, and the results of the blade-element analysis by Okulov and Sorensen are exemplarily illustrated. The wind power potential at three different sites in Interior Alaska (Delta Junction, Eva Creek, and Poker Flat) is assessed by considering the results of wind field predictions for the winter period from October 1, 2008, to April 1, 2009 provided by the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to avoid time-consuming and expensive tall-tower observations in Interior Alaska which is characterized by a relatively low degree of infrastructure outside of the city of Fairbanks. To predict the average power output we use the Weibull distributions derived from the predicted wind fields for these three different sites and the power curves of five different propeller-type wind turbines with rated powers ranging from 2 MW to 2.5 MW. These power curves are represented by general logistic functions. The predicted power capacity for the Eva Creek site is compared with that of the Eva Creek wind farm established in 2012. The results of our predictions for the winter period 2008/2009 are nearly 20 percent lower than those of the Eva Creek wind farm for the period from January to September 2013.

Near-Surface Wind-Speed Stilling in Alaska during 1984-2016 and Its Impact on the Sustainability of Wind Power

Based on wind-speed records of Alaska’s 19 first-order weather stations, we analyzed the near-surface wind-speed stilling for January 1, 1984 to December 31, 2016. With exception of Big Delta that indicates an increase of 0.0157 m·s–1·a–1, on average, all other first-order weather stations show declining trends in the near-surface wind speeds. In most cases, the average trends are less then?–0.0300?m·s–1·a–1. The strongest average trend of?–0.0500?m·s–1·a–1 occurred at Homer, followed by?–0.0492?m·s–1·a–1 at Bettles, and?–0.0453?m·s–1·a–1 at Yakutat, while the declining trend at Barrow is marginal. The impact of the near-surface wind-speed stilling on the wind-power potential expressed by the wind-power density was predicted and compared with the wind-power classification of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Alaska Energy Authority. This wind-power potential is, however, of subordinate importance because wind turbines only extract a fraction of the kinetic energy from the wind field characterized by the power efficiency. Since wind turbine technology has notably improved during the past 35 years, we hypothetically used seven currently available wind turbines of different rated power and three different shear exponents to assess the wind-power sustainability under changing wind regimes. The shear exponents 1/10, 1/7, and 1/5 served to examine the range of wind power for various conditions of thermal stratification. Based on our analysis for January 1, 1984 to December 31, 2016, Cold Bay, St. Paul Island, Kotzebue, and Bethel would be very good candidates for wind farms. To quantify the impact of a changing wind regime on wind-power sustainability, we predicted wind power for the periods January 1, 1984 to December 31, 1994 and January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2016 as well. Besides Big Delta that suggests an increase in wind power of up to 12% for 1/7, predicted wind power decreased at all sites with the highest decline at Annette (≈38%), Kodiak (≈30%), King Salmon (≈26%), and Kotzebue (≈24%), where the effect of the shear exponents was marginal. Bethel (up to 20%) and Cold Bay (up to 14%) also show remarkable decreases in predicted wind power.

An integrated approach for increasing breeding efficiency in apple and peach in Europe

Despite the availability of whole genome sequences of apple and peach,there has been a considerable gap between genomics and breeding.To bridge the gap,the European Union funded the FruitBreedomics project(March 2011 to August 2015)involving 28 research institutes and private companies.Three complementary approaches were pursued:(i)tool and software development,(ii)deciphering genetic control of main horticultural traits taking into account allelic diversity and(iii)developing plant materials,tools and methodologies for breeders.Decisive breakthroughs were made including the making available of ready-to-go DNA diagnostic tests for Marker Assisted Breeding,development of new,dense SNP arrays in apple and peach,new phenotypic methods for some complex traits,software for gene/QTL discovery on breeding germplasm via Pedigree Based Analysis(PBA).This resulted in the discovery of highly predictive molecular markers for traits of horticultural interest via PBA and via Genome Wide Association Studies(GWAS)on several European genebank collections.FruitBreedomics also developed pre-breeding plant materials in which multiple sources of resistance were pyramided and software that can support breeders in their selection activities.Through FruitBreedomics,significant progresses were made in the field of apple and peach breeding,genetics,genomics and bioinformatics of which advantage will be made by breeders,germplasm curators and scientists.A major part of the data collected during the project has been stored in the FruitBreedomics database and has been made available to the public.This review covers the scientific discoveries made in this major endeavour,and perspective in the apple and peach breeding and genomics in Europe and beyond.

Effect of Proline Pretreatment on Grapevine Shoot-Tip Response to a Droplet-Vitrification Protocol

Proline has been shown to accumulate in plants in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Exogenous proline has thus been used for improving some plant cryopreservation protocols. Further enhancement of cryopreservation efficiency for in vitro grapevines could be expected if stresses linked to cryopreservation procedures could be reduced. We therefore studied the possible beneficial effect of proline in grapevine cryopreservation. Single-node explants from in vitro grown grapevine plantlets (Vitis vinifera L. cv Portan) were cultured on shooting media (half-strength MS + 1 μM BAP) containing no proline (control) or 50, 500, or 2000 μM filter-sterilized L-proline. Shoot tips excised from these microshoots were subjected to a PVS2-based droplet-vitrification procedure. Control and rewarmed explants were grown on a recovery medium containing 1 μM BAP. Shoot development on control medium and lower proline concentrations did not notably differ whereas the highest concentration of proline inhibited shoot development. Carry-over effects were observed since lower survival and regrowth were obtained both for non-frozen or LN-treated explants excised from micro-shoots obtained on the 2000 μM proline medium. No significant differences in survival and regrowth were observed for non-frozen explants subjected to pretreatment without LN exposure. A slightly enhancing effect (although non-significant) on post-cryopreservation survival was observed for explants derived from shoots developed on 50 or 500 μM proline, but no significant improvement of regrowth percentage was observed for these two conditions. Although a slight increase in survival could be observed, no significant beneficial effect of proline pretreatment on post-cryoconservation regrowth could be evidenced in our conditions. However, the 2-week period before explant excision could have allowed at least partial metabolism and catabolism of exogenous proline;the results observed could thus have been the consequence of complex interactions. Shorter proline treatments applied closer to the actual LN exposure step might produce different results and allow for clearer interpretation.

Apple whole genome sequences:recent advances and new prospects

In 2010,a major scientific milestone was achieved for tree fruit crops:publication of the first draft whole genome sequence(WGS)for apple(Malus domestica).This WGS,v1.0,was valuable as the initial reference for sequence information,fine mapping,gene discovery,variant discovery,and tool development.A new,high quality apple WGS,GDDH13 v1.1,was released in 2017 and now serves as the reference genome for apple.Over the past decade,these apple WGSs have had an enormous impact on our understanding of apple biological functioning,trait physiology and inheritance,leading to practical applications for improving this highly valued crop.Causal gene identities for phenotypes of fundamental and practical interest can today be discovered much more rapidly.Genome-wide polymorphisms at high genetic resolution are screened efficiently over hundreds to thousands of individuals with new insights into genetic relationships and pedigrees.High-density genetic maps are constructed efficiently and quantitative trait loci for valuable traits are readily associated with positional candidate genes and/or converted into diagnostic tests for breeders.We understand the species,geographical,and genomic origins of domesticated apple more precisely,as well as its relationship to wild relatives.The WGS has turbo-charged application of these classical research steps to crop improvement and drives innovative methods to achieve more durable,environmentally sound,productive,and consumer-desirable apple production.This review includes examples of basic and practical breakthroughs and challenges in using the apple WGSs.Recommendations for“what’s next”focus on necessary upgrades to the genome sequence data pool,as well as for use of the data,to reach new frontiers in genomics-based scientific understanding of apple.