Monolayer NbSe2 Favors Ultralow Friction and Super Wear Resistance.

The urgent demand for atomically thin, superlubricating, and super wear-resistant materials in micro/nanoelectromechanical systems has stimulated the research of friction-reducing and antiwear materials. However, the fabrication of subnanometer-thick films with superlubricating and super wear-resistant properties under ambient conditions remains a huge challenge. Herein, high-quality monolayer (ML) NbSe2 (∼0.8 nm) with ultralow friction and super wear resistance in an atmospheric environment was successfully grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for the first time. Moreover, compared with few-layered (FL) NbSe2, ML NbSe2 has a lower friction coefficient and better wear resistance. On the basis of density function theory (DFT) calculations, the adhesion and the degree of charge transfer between ML NbSe2 and the substrate is larger than that of the topmost layer to the underlying layers of NbSe2 with two or more layers, which can be used to explain that the ML NbSe2 favors ultralow friction and super wear resistance.

Disruption of the rice ALS1 localized in chloroplast causes seedling-lethal albino phenotype.

Chloroplasts are the organelles responsible for photosynthesis and regulate normal plant growth. Although translation elongation factors play important roles in chloroplast development, functional studies of chloroplast translation elongation factors in higher plants remain very sparse. Here, we obtained a rice mutant exhibiting seedling-lethal albino phenotype and named it albino and lethal seedling 1 (als1). Consistently, low content of photosynthetic pigments, malformed chloroplasts and defective photosynthesis were observed in als1 mutant leaves. Map-based cloning experiment showed that als1 mutant had a T base insertion in Os02g0595700, causing a frame shift and premature stop codon. ALS1 encoded a GTP-binding protein EF-Tu, which acts as a translation elongation factor in chloroplast protein translation. ALS1 was found to be expressed throughout plant with highest expression level in young leaves. Moreover, ALS1 was located in chloroplast, whereas the truncated als1 could not normally be located in chloroplast. Additionally, the ALS1 mutation significantly influenced the expression of downstream genes, such as genes relevant to chlorophyll biosynthesis, photosynthesis as well as chloroplast development. These results show that ALS1 acts as a key regulator of chloroplast development and plant growth.

High-Output Triboelectric Nanogenerator Achieved through Conductive Layer Strategy for Motion Step Sensing.

As an emerging high-efficiency energy conversion device, improving the output of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) is still a key method to promote practical application of TENGs. This paper systematically investigated the influence of component composition, thickness, and surface morphology of the metal conducting layer on the performance of triboelectric nanogenerators. It has been established that these three factors have a significant influence on the output performance of TENGs. Among the four common metals Au, Pt, Ag, and Cu, the triboelectric nanogenerator achieves its maximum output when utilizing Ag as the conducting layer, with optimal performance observed at a thickness of 278 nm. TENGs with nanostructured conducting layers have better output as the nanostructure amplifies the induction charging area, thereby effectively augmenting the performance of TENGs. In particular, when contrasted with a triboelectric nanogenerator utilizing copper foil as the conducting layer alongside poly(vinylidene difluoride) and Nylon-11 as friction layers in the common work, the short-circuit current of the triboelectric nanogenerator increased by 2.3 times, and the maximum short-circuit current reached 149 µA when the conducting layer was replaced with Ag, and the enhanced triboelectric nanogenerator successfully illuminated 1536 commercial LEDs. In addition, the TENG-based smart insoles combined with pedometers can realize signal sensing and the real-time recording of steps during exercise. This research provides a new simple and reliable method to further improve the output of the TENG.

Integration of molecular breeding and multi-resistance screening for developing a promising restorer line Guihui5501 with heavy grain, good grain quality, and endurance to biotic and abiotic stresses.

Rice, a critical staple on a global scale, faces escalating challenges in yield preservation due to the rising prevalence of abiotic and biotic stressors, exacerbated by frequent climatic fluctuations in recent years. Moreover, the scorching climate prevalent in the rice-growing regions of South China poses obstacles to the cultivation of good-quality, heavy-grain varieties. Addressing this dilemma requires the development of resilient varieties capable of withstanding multiple stress factors. To achieve this objective, our study employed the broad-spectrum blast-resistant line Digu, the brown planthopper (BPH)-resistant line ASD7, and the heavy-grain backbone restorer lines Fuhui838 (FH838) and Shuhui527 (SH527) as parental materials for hybridization and multiple crossings. The incorporation of molecular markers facilitated the rapid pyramiding of six target genes (Pi5, Pita, Pid2, Pid3, Bph2, and Wxb ). Through a comprehensive evaluation encompassing blast resistance, BPH resistance, cold tolerance, grain appearance, and quality, alongside agronomic trait selection, a promising restorer line, Guihui5501 (GH5501), was successfully developed. It demonstrated broad-spectrum resistance to blast, exhibiting a resistance frequency of 77.33% against 75 artificially inoculated isolates, moderate resistance to BPH (3.78 grade), strong cold tolerance during the seedling stage (1.80 grade), and characteristics of heavy grains (1,000-grain weight reaching 35.64 g) with good grain quality. The primary rice quality parameters for GH5501, with the exception of alkali spreading value, either met or exceeded the second-grade national standard for premium edible rice varieties, signifying a significant advancement in the production of good-quality heavy-grain varieties in the southern rice-growing regions. Utilizing GH5501, a hybrid combination named Nayou5501, characterized by high yield, good quality, and resistance to multiple stresses, was bred and received approval as a rice variety in Guangxi in 2021. Furthermore, genomic analysis with gene chips revealed that GH5501 possessed an additional 20 exceptional alleles, such as NRT1.1B for efficient nitrogen utilization, SKC1 for salt tolerance, and STV11 for resistance to rice stripe virus. Consequently, the restorer line GH5501 could serve as a valuable resource for the subsequent breeding of high-yielding, good-quality, and stress-tolerant hybrid rice varieties.

Construction of High-Density Genetic Map and QTL Mapping for Grain Shape in the Rice RIL Population.

Grain shape is an important agronomic trait directly associated with yield in rice. In order to explore new genes related to rice grain shape, a high-density genetic map containing 2193 Bin markers (526957 SNP) was constructed by whole-genome resequencing of 208 recombinant inbred (RILs) derived from a cross between ZP37 and R8605, with a total genetic distance of 1542.27 cM. The average genetic distance between markers was 0.76 cM, and the physical distance was 201.29 kb. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping was performed for six agronomic traits related to rice grain length, grain width, length-to-width ratio, thousand-grain weight, grain cross-sectional area, and grain perimeter under three different environments. A total of 39 QTLs were identified, with mapping intervals ranging from 8.1 kb to 1781.6 kb and an average physical distance of 517.5 kb. Among them, 15 QTLs were repeatedly detected in multiple environments. Analysis of the genetic effects of the identified QTLs revealed 14 stable genetic loci, including three loci that overlapped with previously reported gene positions, and the remaining 11 loci were newly identified loci associated with two or more environments or traits. Locus 1, Locus 3, Locus 10, and Locus 14 were novel loci exhibiting pleiotropic effects on at least three traits and were detected in multiple environments. Locus 14, with a contribution rate greater than 10%, influenced grain width, length-to-width ratio, and grain cross-sectional area. Furthermore, pyramiding effects analysis of three stable genetic loci showed that increasing the number of QTL could effectively improve the phenotypic value of grain shape. Collectively, our findings provided a theoretical basis and genetic resources for the cloning, functional analysis, and molecular breeding of genes related to rice grain shape.