Design and Experimental Study of a Tetragonal Rotor Pump Based on Wankel Geometry.

Wankel pump designs have not been fully established, with existing designs limited to bicornous rotor pumps and triangular rotor pumps. Here, on the basis of Wankel geometry, we present a tetragonal rotor pump with a three-lobe epicycloid and its conjugate envelope as chamber and rotor profile. First, the design method and basic working principle of the pump are introduced. Four groups of prototypes with different shape factors were manufactured, and their flow and pressure characteristics were experimentally studied. Numerical study showed that the flow rate irregularity of the pump is lower than that of existing Wankel pumps. Finally, the feasibility the pump for mixing applications was verified by a flow field observation experiment. The work in this paper provides a new type of rotary displacement pump design, representing an study of reverse application of a Wankel engine structure.

Research on the Machinability of Micro-Tapered Hole Group in Piezoelectric Atomizer and the Improvement Method.

A metal atomizing sheet with a group of micro-tapered holes is the core constituent of a piezoelectric atomizer. However, the diameters of large-end and small-end micro-tapered holes in industrial applications deviate from the design values by 15.25% and 15.83%, respectively, which adversely impacts the effect of atomizers. In this study, two main factors that influence the machining quality of tapered holes, the external vibration disturbance and the internal system errors inside the laser processor, were explored; consequently, the vibration model of the machining device and the laser drilling model were established, respectively. Based on the models and the experimental results, it was found that the errors in diameter caused by these two factors accounted for 20% and 67.87% of the total deviation, respectively. Finally, an improved method was proposed, where a damping system was added to the machining device, and the diameter of the initial laser spot was corrected. The measurement results of tapered holes machined by the improved method showed that the deviation of the large diameters and the small diameters from the design values declined to 4.85% and 4.83%, respectively. This study lays a foundation for the high-precision and large-scale industry of atomizing sheets, and provides a new research direction for enhancing the performance of atomizers.

Nitric oxide contributes to minerals absorption, proton pumps and hormone equilibrium under cadmium excess in Trifolium repens L. plants.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a stress-signaling molecule in plants that mediates a wide range of physiological processes and responses to metal toxicity. In this work, various NO modulators (NO donor: SNP; NO scavenger: cPTIO; NO synthase inhibitor: l-NAME; and SNP analogs: sodium nitrite/nitrate and sodium ferrocyanide) were investigated to determine the role of NO in Trifolium repens L. plants exposed to Cd. Cd (100µM) markedly reduced biomass, NO production and chlorophyll (Chl a, Chl b and total Chl) concentration but stimulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Cd accumulation in plants. SNP (50µM) substantially attenuated growth inhibition, reduced hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malonyldialdehyde (MDA) levels, stimulated ROS-scavenging enzymes/agents, and mitigated the H(+)-ATPase inhibition in proton pumps. Interestingly, SNP considerably up-regulated the levels of jasmonic acid (JA) and proline in plant tissues but down-regulated the levels of ethylene (ET) in both shoots and roots and the level of salicylic acid (SA) in roots only, which might be related to the elevated NO synthesis. Additionally, SNP (25-200µM) regulated mineral absorption and, particularly at 50µM, significantly enhanced the uptake of shoot magnesium (Mg) and copper (Cu) and of root calcium (Ca), Mg and iron (Fe). Nevertheless, the effects of SNP on plant growth were reversed by cPTIO and l-NAME, suggesting that the protective effect of SNP might be associated with NO synthesis in vivo. Moreover, SNP analogs did not display roles similar to that of SNP. These results indicated that NO depleted Cd toxicity by eliminating oxidative damage, enhancing minerals absorption, regulating proton pumps, and maintaining hormone equilibrium.

Piezoelectric atomization of liquids with dynamic viscosities up to 175 cP at room temperature.

Piezoelectric atomization has been applied in the field of respiratory medicine delivery and chemistry. However, the wider application of this technique is limited by the viscosity of the liquid. High-viscosity liquid atomization has great potential for applications in aerospace, medicine, solid-state batteries and engines, but the actual development of atomization is behind expectations. In this study, instead of the traditional model of single-dimensional vibration as a power supply, we propose a novel atomization mechanism that uses two coupled vibrations to induce micro-amplitude elliptical motion of the particles on the surface of the liquid carrier, which produces a similar effect as localized traveling waves to push the liquid forward and induce cavitation to achieve atomization. To achieve this, a flow tube internal cavitation atomizer (FTICA) consisting of a vibration source, a connecting block and a liquid carrier is designed. The prototype can atomize liquids with dynamic viscosities up to 175 cP at room temperature with a driving frequency of 507 kHz and a voltage of 85 V. The maximum atomization rate in the experiment is 56.35 mg/min, and the average atomized particle diameter is 10 µm. Vibration models for the three parts of the proposed FTICA are established, and the vibration characteristics and atomization mechanism of the prototype were verified using the vibration displacement measurement experiment and the spectroscopic experiment. This study offers new possibilities for transpulmonary inhalation therapy, engine fuel supply, solid-state battery processing and other areas where high-viscosity microparticle atomization is needed.

Frontal white matter abnormalities following chronic ketamine use: a diffusion tensor imaging study.

Ketamine abuse has been shown to have a deleterious impact on brain function. However, the precise mechanisms of ketamine dependence-induced pathological change remain poorly understood. Although there is evidence for white matter changes in drug abuse, the presence of white matter abnormalities in chronic ketamine users has not been studied. White matter volumes were measured using in vivo diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging data in 41 ketamine-dependent subjects and 44 drug-free healthy volunteers. White matter changes associated with chronic ketamine use were found in bilateral frontal and left temporoparietal cortices. There was also evidence that frontal white matter fractional anisotropy correlated with the severity of drug use (as measured by estimated total ketamine consumption). We provide direct evidence for dose-dependent abnormalities of white matter in bilateral frontal and left temporoparietal regions following chronic ketamine use. The findings suggest a microstructural basis for the changes in cognition and experience observed with prolonged ketamine use. Moreover, the similarities of these changes to those observed in chronic schizophrenia have implications for the glutamate model of this illness.

Novel method for improving ardicrenin content in hairy roots of Ardisia crenata Sims plants.

To develop an alternative medicine related with taxol/camptothecin, a hairy roots induction system for measuring triterpenoid saponin ardicrenin was established. In the current study, mature and healthy seeds of Ardisia crenata plants were selected for obtaining aseptic seedlings. Two Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains ATCC 15834 and A4 were used to infect aseptic euphylla for inducing hairy roots of A. crenata plants. For the best combination of seeds germination, a Murashige-Skoog medium containing 1.0 mg L-1 6-benzylaminopurine and 1.0 mg L-1 naphthalene acetic acid was made, which reached a rate of 92.4 %. Results showed that ATCC 15834 and A4 both induced hairy roots of A. crenata for improving ardicrenin production. The PCR analysis demonstrated that ATCC 15834 and A4 Ri plasmid T-DNA had been successfully transferred and integrated into the genome of leaf cell nuclei, however the Vir region was not. Further, ardicrenin content in hairy roots ACHR 15834 8.2 %) induced by ATCC 15834 was quantified by the RP-HPLC, which was also 1.8-, 2.7-, 9.4- and 2.6-fold greater than those of ACHR 4 induced by A4 (4.5 %), ACR C formed by tissue culture (3.1 %), euphylla (0.8 %) and NR C formed nature (3.2 %), respectively. Taken together, hairy root lines of A. crenata obtained were able to express naturally more ardicrenin than natural plants.

[Tissue culture and plant regeneration of Ardisia crenata].

OBJECTIVE: Our research studied the fast-breeding technology of Ardisia crenata sims by using tissue culture and provided the scientific foundation for industry production. METHOD: The effects of axillary buds and plant regeneration of different basic medium, hormones and additives on induction and multiplication were studied. RESULT: The best culture medium for the induction of axillary buds, which took the stems of A. crenate were as explants, was MS + 6-BA 0.5 mg x L(-1) + NAA 0.1 mg x L(-1), and the best medium for multiplication was MS + 6-BA 2.0 mg x L(-1) + NAA 0.1 mg x L(-1) + KT 0.5 mg x L(-1), the best medium for roots generation was 1/2MS + IBA 0.2 mg x L(-1). We also found that the roots'generation, roots rate and mean number of roots can be promoted by adding 0.2% Ac, and the most suitable ground substance was river sand-perlite-vermiculite (1:1:1) or perlite-vermiculite (1:1). With axillary buds and plant regeneration methode, more than 80% A. crenata sims could be regenerated integratedly. CONCLUSION: A. crenata sims can be regenerated integratedly and breeded fast by using axillary bud proliferation technology.

Comparative transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of the green and white parts of chimeric leaves in Ananas comosus var. bracteatus.

BACKGROUND: Ananas comosus var. bracteatus has high ornamental value due to its chimeric leaves. However, the chimeric trait is very unstable in red pineapple plants, and transcriptional variation between the two types of cells (white/green cells) and the molecular mechanism responsible for their albino phenotype remain poorly understood. METHODS: Comparative transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of the white parts (Whs) and green parts (Grs) of chimeric leaves were performed. RESULTS: In total, 1,685 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (712 upregulated and 973 downregulated) and 1,813 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) (1,018 with low abundance and 795 with high abundance) were identified. Based on Gene Ontology (Go) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses, the DEGs were mostly involved in carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation, while proteomic analysis revealed that DAPs were mostly related to ribosomes, photosynthesis, photosynthesis antennas, and porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism. Combined analysis showed increased mRNA levels but low abundance of nine proteins level in Whs /Grs related to photosynthetic pigment and photosynthesis. Transcriptional changes, posttranscriptional regulation and translational alterations of key enzymes involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis and photosynthesis may play important roles in the albino parts of chimeric leaves.

Retraction notice to "Signalling cross-talk between nitric oxide and active oxygen in Trifolium repens L. plants responses to cadmium stress" [Environ. Pollut. 239 (2018) 53-68].

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editors-in-Chief. The authors have plagiarized part of a paper that had appeared in Plant, Cell & Environment, 29 (2006) 1532-1544. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-3040.2006.01531.x The images that were reused were: Fig. 1e, 1f, 1g, 1h, 2a, 2b, 2e, 2f. One of the conditions of submission of a paper for publication is that authors declare explicitly that their work is original and has not appeared in a publication elsewhere. Re-use of any data should be appropriately cited. As such this article represents a severe abuse of the scientific publishing system. The scientific community takes a very strong view on this matter and apologies are offered to readers of the journal that this was not detected during the submission process.

Signalling cross-talk between nitric oxide and active oxygen in Trifolium repens L. plants responses to cadmium stress.

The significant influence of •NO on the stress response is well established; however, the precise metabolic pathways of •NO and RNS under metal stresses remain unclear. Here, the key components of ROS and RNS metabolism under Cd stress were investigated with multi-level approaches using high-quality forage white clover (Trifolium repens L.) plants. For the studied plants, Cd disturbed the redox homeostasis, affected the absorption of minerals, and exacerbated the degree of lipid peroxidation, thus triggering oxidative stress. However, •NO was also involved in regulating mineral absorption, ROS-scavenger levels and mRNA expression in Cd-treated white clover plants. In addition, GSNOR activity was up-regulated by Cd with the simultaneous depletion of •NO generation and GSNO but was counteracted by the •NO donor sodium nitroprusside. Response to Cd-stressed SNOs was involved in generating ONOO- and NO2-Tyr in accordance with the regulation of •NO-mediated post-translational modifications in the ASC-GSH cycle, selected amino acids and NADPH-generating dehydrogenases, thereby provoking nitrosative stress. Taken together, our data provide comprehensive metabolite evidence that clearly confirms the relationships between ROS and RNS in Cd-stressed plants, supporting their regulatory roles in response to nitro-oxidative stress and providing an in-depth understanding of the interaction between two families subjected to metal stresses.

RETRACTED: The interplay between reactive oxygen and nitrogen species contributes in the regulatory mechanism of the nitro-oxidative stress induced by cadmium in Arabidopsis.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor, after consultation with the corresponding author Dr. Shiliang Liu due to image issues. The article reused several images from the author's paper published in Environmental Pollution 239 (2018) 53-68 (which has been retracted due to image issues): Figures 1c, 1d, 2a, 2b, 2c, 4a, 9a and 9b. The article also plagiarized part of a paper from other authors that had appeared in Plant Physiology, 150, 229-243 (2009). The images that were reused were Fig 5 a, 5c, 5e and 5 g. This was brought to the editors' attention via a letter to the editor. One of the conditions of submission of a paper for publication is that authors declare explicitly that their work is original and has not appeared in a publication elsewhere. Re-use of any data should be appropriately cited. As such this article represents a severe abuse of the scientific publishing system. The scientific community takes a very strong view on this matter and apologies are offered to readers of the journal that this was not detected during the submission process.

Differentiating Thamnocalamus Munro from Fargesia Franchet emend. Yi (Bambusoideae, Poaceae): novel evidence from morphological and neural-network analyses.

Fargesia Franchet emend. Yi is closely allied with Thamnocalamus Munro but differs in many major morphological characteristics. Based on traditional morphological characters, it is difficult to differentiate these two genera. The current study measured 19 species in these two genera to determine whether variations in 12 categories of major characters are continuous. In addition, a self-organizing map (SOM) and cluster analysis were used together to reveal whether the known species of Fargesia represent discontinuous sampling of Thamnocalamus. The results show that 46 morphological characteristics exhibited high variation at the generic and species levels. In addition, the cluster analysis showed that 32 morphological characteristics of Thamnocalamus and Fargesia were divided between two species and well separated from the outgroup. Additionally, significant differences (P < 0.01) were observed in the reproductive structures between these two genera. The unrooted dendrogram, which was based on the SOM neural network, shows the same results as the cluster analysis of morphological characteristics. These data indicate that Fargesia is not a result of discontinuous sampling of Thamnocalamus; thus, Fargesia should not be treated as a synonym for Thamnocalamus.

Beneficial behavior of nitric oxide in copper-treated medicinal plants.

Despite numerous reports implicating nitric oxide (NO) in the environmental-stress responses of plants, the specific metabolic and ionic mechanisms of NO-mediated adaptation to metal stress remain unclear. Here, the impacts of copper (Cu) and NO donor (SNP, 50µM) alone or in combination on the well-known medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus L. were investigated. Our results showed that Cu markedly increased Cu(2+) accumulation, decreased NO production, and disrupted mineral equilibrium and proton pumps, thereby stimulating a burst of ROS; in addition, SNP ameliorates the negative toxicity of Cu, and cPTIO reverses this action. Furthermore, the accumulations of ROS and NO resulted in reciprocal changes. Interestingly, nearly all of the investigated amino acids and the total phenolic content in the roots were promoted by the SNP treatment but were depleted by the Cu+SNP treatment, which is consistent with the self-evident increases in phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity and total soluble phenol content induced by SNP. Unexpectedly, leaf vincristine and vinblastine as well as the total alkaloid content (ca. 1.5-fold) were decreased by Cu but markedly increased by SNP (+38% and +49% of the control levels). This study provides the first evidence of the beneficial behavior of NO, rather than other compounds, in depleting Cu toxicity by regulating mineral absorption, reestablishing ATPase activities, and stimulating secondary metabolites.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of TIFY family genes in Moso Bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) and expression profiling analysis under dehydration and cold stresses.

The proteins containing the TIFY domain belong to a plant-specific family of putative transcription factors and could be divided into four subfamilies: ZML, TIFY, PPD and JAZ. They not only function as key regulators of jasmonate hormonal response, but are also involved in responding to abiotic stress. In this study, we identified 24 TIFY genes (PeTIFYs) in Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) of Poaceae by analyzing the whole genome sequence. One PeTIFY belongs to TIFY subfamily, 18 and five belong to JAZ and ZML subfamilies, respectively. Two equivocal gene models were re-predicted and a putative retrotransposition event was found in a ZML protein. The distribution and conservation of domain or motif, and gene structure were also analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis with TIFY proteins of Arabidopsis and Oryza sativa indicated that JAZ subfamily could be further divided to four groups. Evolutionary analysis revealed intragenomic duplication and orthologous relationship between P. edulis, O. sativa, and B. distachyon. Calculation of the non-synonymous (Ka) and synonymous (Ks) substitution rates and their ratios indicated that the duplication of PeTIFY may have occurred around 16.7 million years ago (MYA), the divergence time of TIFY family among the P. edulis-O. sativa, P. edulis-B. distachyon, and O. sativa-B. distachyon was approximately 39 MYA, 39 MYA, and 45 MYA, respectively. They appear to have undergone extensive purifying selection during evolution. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that more than 50% of PeTIFY genes could be up-regulated by cold and dehydration stresses, and some PeTIFYs also share homology to know TIFYs involved in abiotic stress tolerance. Our results made insights into TIFY family of Moso bamboo, an economically important non-timber forest resource, and provided candidates for further identification of genes involved in regulating responses to abiotic stress.

Genome-Wide Identification, Characterization, and Stress-Responsive Expression Profiling of Genes Encoding LEA (Late Embryogenesis Abundant) Proteins in Moso Bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis).

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins have been identified in a wide range of organisms and are believed to play a role in the adaptation of plants to stress conditions. In this study, we performed genome-wide identification of LEA proteins and their coding genes in Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) of Poaceae. A total of 23 genes encoding LEA proteins (PeLEAs) were found in P. edulis that could be classified to six groups based on Pfam protein family and homologous analysis. Further in silico analyses of the structures, gene amount, and biochemical characteristics were conducted and compared with those of O. sativa (OsLEAs), B. distachyon (BdLEAs), Z. mays (ZmLEAs), S. bicolor (SbLEAs), Arabidopsis, and Populus trichocarpa. The less number of PeLEAs was found. Evolutionary analysis revealed orthologous relationship and colinearity between P. edulis, O. sativa, B. distachyon, Z. mays, and S. bicolor. Analyses of the non-synonymous (Ka) and synonymous (Ks)substitution rates and their ratios indicated that the duplication of PeLEAs may have occurred around 18.8 million years ago (MYA), and divergence time of LEA family among the P. edulis-O. sativa and P. edulis-B. distachyon, P. edulis-S. bicolor, and P. edulis-Z. mays was approximately 30 MYA, 36 MYA, 48 MYA, and 53 MYA, respectively. Almost all PeLEAs contain ABA- and (or) stress-responsive regulatory elements. Further RNA-seq analysis revealed approximately 78% of PeLEAs could be up-regulated by dehydration and cold stresses. The present study makes insights into the LEA family in P. edulis and provides inventory of stress-responsive genes for further functional validation and transgenic research aiming to plant genetic improvement of abiotic stress tolerance.

High resource-capture and -use efficiency, and effective antioxidant protection contribute to the invasiveness of Alnus formosana plants.

To investigate the traits contributing to the invasiveness of Alnus formosana and the mechanisms underlying its invasiveness, we compared A. formosana with its native congener (Alnus cremastogyne) under three light treatments (13%, 56%, and 100%). The consistently higher plant height, total leaf area, light-saturated photosynthetic rate (A(max)), light saturation point (LSP), light compensation point (LCP), respiration efficiency (RE), and non-photochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ) but lower root mass fraction (RMF) and specific leaf area (SLA) of the invader than of its native congener contributed to the higher RGR and total biomass of A. formosana across light regimes. The total biomass and RGR of the invader increased markedly with increased RMF, A(max), LSP, LCP, RE, stomatal conductance (G(s)) and total leaf area. Furthermore, compared with the native species, the higher plasticity index in plant height, RMF, leaf mass fraction (LMF), SMF, SLA, A(max) and dark respiration rate (R(d)) within the range of total light contributed to the higher performance of the invader. In addition, the activities of antioxidant enzymes were higher in the invader compared to the native, contributing to its invasion success under high/low light via photoprotection. With a decrease in light level, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities increased significantly, whereas total carotenoid (Car) and total chlorophyll (Chl) decreased; ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities remained unchanged. These responses may help the invader to spread and invade a wide range of habitats and form dense monocultures, displacing native plant species. The results suggest that both resource capture-related traits (morphological and photosynthetic) and adaptation-related traits (antioxidant protection) contribute to the competitive advantage of the invader.

[Effects of light regime on the growth and photosynthetic characteristics of Alnus formosana and A. cremastogyne seedlings].

Three light intensities (100% , 56.2%, and 12.5%) were installed to simulate the light regimes of opening field (cutting blank), forest gap, and understory, respectively, aimed to understand the effects of different light regimes on the seedling growth, photosynthetic characteristics, and biomass accumulation and allocation of alien species Alnus formosana and native species A. cremastogyne. Low light regime limited the seedling growth of the two alder species, while the light regime of forest gap was more favorable for the growth, in comparison with that of the opening field. Regardless of the light regimes, A. formosana seedlings had higher specific leaf area (SLA), relative growth rate (RGR) , leaf area, leaf length, leaf width, plant height, and basal diameter, but smaller leaf number, leaf area ratio (LAR), and petiole length. Under low light regime, A. formosana seedlings had higher maximum net photosynthetic rate (Pn max), light saturation point (LSP), and apparent quantum yield (AQY), but smaller light compensation point (LCP) and dark respiration rate (Rday). With the decrease of light intensity, A. formosana seedlings had much higher root mass ratio (RMR) and much lower leaf mass ratio (LMR), implying that more carbon was allocated and stored to the roots rather than new leaves, whereas the A. cremastogyne seedlings were in adverse, i.e. , more carbon was allocated to the above-ground parts, which might increase the risk of animal feeding and mechanical damage.