Enhancing Cutting Rates in Multi-Channel HSWEDM of Metal Materials with a Novel Decoupling Circuit.

Multi-channel high-speed wire electrical discharge machining (HSWEDM) has shown great potential in enhancing the cutting rate of metal workpieces. However, the mechanism of multi-channel discharges in this technique remains unclear. In this paper, the equivalent circuit and processing model of the multi-channel HSWEDM were developed to investigate the discharge characteristics. It was found that the equipotential between electrodes is the primary factor causing electrical signal coupling between channels, hindering the achievement of synchronous discharge. To address this issue, a novel power supply with a decoupling circuit was devised. By utilizing the combined effect of electrode wire resistance and current limiting resistance (Rc), a potential difference was induced between electrodes in different channels, enabling electrical signal decoupling and facilitating synchronous discharge. The impact of Rc on synchronous discharge was examined, revealing that a reduction in Rc can increase the gap voltage of non-breakdown channels, thereby enhancing the discharge ratio. Finally, cutting rate experiments were conducted. When the new power supply was used for electrical signal decoupling, the cutting rates of multi-channel WEDM were significantly improved. Compared to single-channel HSWEDM, the cutting rates of two-channel and four-channel HSWEDM are enhanced by 84.06% and 247.83%, respectively.

Genome-wide association study reveals novel quantitative trait loci and candidate genes of lint percentage in upland cotton based on the CottonSNP80K array.

KEY MESSAGE: Thirty-four SNPs corresponding with 22 QTLs for lint percentage, including 13 novel QTLs, was detected via GWAS. Two candidate genes underlying this trait were also identified. Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is an important natural textile fiber and oilseed crop cultivated worldwide. Lint percentage (LP, %) is one of the important yield components, and increasing LP is a core goal of cotton breeding improvement. However, the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying LP in upland cotton remain unclear. Here, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for LP based on 254 upland cotton accessions in four environments as well as the best linear unbiased predictors using the high-density CottonSNP80K array. In total, 41,413 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were screened, and 34 SNPs within 22 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were significantly associated with LP. In total, 175 candidate genes were identified from two major genomic loci (GR1 and GR2), and 50 hub genes were identified through GO enrichment and weighted gene co-expression network analysis. Two candidate genes (Gh_D01G0162 and Gh_D07G0463), which may participate in early fiber development to affect the number of fiber protrusions and LP, were also identified. Their genetic variation and expression were verified by linkage disequilibrium blocks, haplotypes, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. The weighted gene interaction network analysis showed that the expression of Gh_D07G0463 was significantly correlated with that of Gh_D01G0162. These identified SNPs, QTLs and candidate genes provide important insights into the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying variations in LP and serve as a foundation for LP improvement via marker-assisted breeding.

Controlled phase and crystallinity of FeNCN/NC dominating sodium storage performance.

FeNCN is a potentially fast-charging sodium ion anode due to the presence of lots of broad tunnels and its high electronic conductivity. However, FeNCN has been rarely investigated due to its complicated synthetic process and unclear synthetic mechanism, which affect the precise control of its phase and crystallinity. In this work, phase- and crystallinity-controlled FeNCN polyhedrons grown on nitrogen-doped carbon (FeNCN/NC) are successfully fabricated by adjusting the growing time and temperature. Moreover, the synthesis mechanism is disclosed in this paper. High-crystallinity FeNCN grows along the [001] direction, which exposes sufficient broad channels on the {010} planes and significantly improves the diffusion rate of sodium ions. Moreover, high-crystallinity FeNCN exhibits higher mechanical strength, which reduces its pulverization rate and endows it with durable cycling stability. When applied as an anode in a sodium-ion battery, high-crystallinity FeNCN/NC exhibits a high rate capability of 332 mA h g-1 at 5.0 A g-1 and a stable cycling performance of 368 mA h g-1 after 300 cycles at a high current density of 1.0 A g-1. This work confirms that the sodium-ion storage performance of FeNCN can be further improved by tuning its crystallinity.

Genome-wide quantitative trait loci reveal the genetic basis of cotton fibre quality and yield-related traits in a Gossypium hirsutum recombinant inbred line population.

Cotton is widely cultivated globally because it provides natural fibre for the textile industry and human use. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs)/genes associated with fibre quality and yield, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was developed in upland cotton. A consensus map covering the whole genome was constructed with three types of markers (8295 markers, 5197.17 centimorgans (cM)). Six fibre yield and quality traits were evaluated in 17 environments, and 983 QTLs were identified, 198 of which were stable and mainly distributed on chromosomes 4, 6, 7, 13, 21 and 25. Thirty-seven QTL clusters were identified, in which 92.8% of paired traits with significant medium or high positive correlations had the same QTL additive effect directions, and all of the paired traits with significant medium or high negative correlations had opposite additive effect directions. In total, 1297 genes were discovered in the QTL clusters, 414 of which were expressed in two RNA-Seq data sets. Many genes were discovered, 23 of which were promising candidates. Six important QTL clusters that included both fibre quality and yield traits were identified with opposite additive effect directions, and those on chromosome 13 (qClu-chr13-2) could increase fibre quality but reduce yield; this result was validated in a natural population using three markers. These data could provide information about the genetic basis of cotton fibre quality and yield and help cotton breeders to improve fibre quality and yield simultaneously.

Identification of candidate genes for key fibre-related QTLs and derivation of favourable alleles in Gossypium hirsutum recombinant inbred lines with G. barbadense introgressions.

Fine mapping QTLs and identifying candidate genes for cotton fibre-quality and yield traits would be beneficial to cotton breeding. Here, we constructed a high-density genetic map by specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) to identify QTLs associated with fibre-quality and yield traits using 239 recombinant inbred lines (RILs), which was developed from LMY22 (a high-yield Gossypium hirsutumL. cultivar) × LY343 (a superior fibre-quality germplasm with G. barbadenseL. introgressions). The genetic map spanned 3426.57 cM, including 3556 SLAF-based SNPs and 199 SSR marker loci. A total of 104 QTLs, including 67 QTLs for fibre quality and 37 QTLs for yield traits, were identified with phenotypic data collected from 7 environments. Among these, 66 QTLs were co-located in 19 QTL clusters on 12 chromosomes, and 24 QTLs were detected in three or more environments and determined to be stable. We also investigated the genomic components of LY343 and their contributions to fibre-related traits by deep sequencing the whole genome of LY343, and we found that genomic components from G. hirsutum races (which entered LY343 via its G. barbadense parent) contributed more favourable alleles than those from G. barbadense. We further identified six putative candidate genes for stable QTLs, including Gh_A03G1147 (GhPEL6), Gh_D07G1598 (GhCSLC6) and Gh_D13G1921 (GhTBL5) for fibre-length QTLs and Gh_D03G0919 (GhCOBL4), Gh_D09G1659 (GhMYB4) and Gh_D09G1690 (GhMYB85) for lint-percentage QTLs. Our results provide comprehensive insight into the genetic basis of the formation of fibre-related traits and would be helpful for cloning fibre-development-related genes as well as for marker-assisted genetic improvement in cotton.

Characterization and variation of the rhizosphere fungal community structure of cultivated tetraploid cotton.

Rhizosphere fungal communities exert important influencing forces on plant growth and health. However, information on the dynamics of the rhizosphere fungal community structure of the worldwide economic crop cotton (Gossypium spp.) is limited. In the present study, next-generation sequencing of nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS1) was performed to characterize the rhizosphere fungal communities of G. hirsutum cv. TM-1 (upland cotton) and G. barbadense cv. Hai 7124 (island cotton). The plants were grown in field soil (FS) that had been continuously cropped with cotton and nutrient-rich soil (NS) that had not been cropped. The fungal species richness, diversity, and community composition were analyzed and compared among the soil resources, cotton genotypes, and developmental stages. We found that the fungal community structures were different between the rhizosphere and bulk soil and the difference were significantly varied between FS and NS. Our results suggested that cotton rhizosphere fungal community structure variation may have been primarily influenced by the interaction of cotton roots with different soil resources. We also found that the community composition of the cotton rhizosphere fungi varied significantly during different developmental stages. In addition, we observed fungi that was enriched or depleted at certain developmental stages and genotypes in FS and NS, and these insights can lay a foundation for deep research into the dynamics of pathogenic fungi and nutrient absorption of cotton roots. This research illustrates the characteristics of the cotton rhizosphere fungal communities and provides important information for understanding the potential influences of rhizosphere fungal communities on cotton growth and health.

Identification of Introgressed Alleles Conferring High Fiber Quality Derived From Gossypium barbadense L. in Secondary Mapping Populations of G. hirsutum L.

The improvement of fiber quality is an essential goal in cotton breeding. In our previous studies, several quantitative trait loci (QTLs) contributing to improved fiber quality were identified in different introgressed chromosomal regions from Sea Island cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) in a primary introgression population (Pop. A) of upland cotton (G. hirsutum L.). In the present study, to finely map introgressed major QTLs and accurately dissect the genetic contribution of the target introgressed chromosomal segments, we backcrossed two selected recombinant inbred lines (RILs) that presented desirable high fiber quality with their high lint-yielding recurrent parent to ultimately develop two secondary mapping populations (Pop. B and Pop. C). Totals of 20 and 27 QTLs for fiber quality were detected in Pop. B and Pop. C, respectively, including four and five for fiber length, four and eight for fiber micronaire, two and four for fiber uniformity, five and four for fiber elongation, and six and four for fiber strength, respectively. Two QTLs for lint percentage were detected only in Pop. C. In addition, seven stable QTLs were identified, including two for both fiber length and fiber strength and three for fiber elongation. Five QTL clusters for fiber quality were identified in the introgressed chromosomal regions, and negative effects of these chromosomal regions on lint percentage (a major lint yield parameter) were not observed. Candidate genes with a QTL-cluster associated with fiber strength and fiber length in the introgressed region of Chr.7 were further identified. The results may be helpful for revealing the genetic basis of superior fiber quality contributed by introgressed alleles from G. barbadense. Possible strategies involving marker-assisted selection (MAS) for simultaneously improving upland cotton fiber quality and lint yield in breeding programs was also discussed.

A novel VIGS method by agroinoculation of cotton seeds and application for elucidating functions of GhBI-1 in salt-stress response.

KEY MESSAGE: A VIGS method by agroinoculation of cotton seeds was developed for gene silencing in young seedlings and roots, and applied in functional analysis of GhBI-1 in response to salt stress. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) has been widely used to investigate the functions of genes expressed in mature leaves, but not yet in young seedlings or roots of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Here, we developed a simple and effective VIGS method for silencing genes in young cotton seedlings and roots by soaking naked seeds in Agrobacterium cultures carrying tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-VIGS vectors. When the naked seeds were soaked in Agrobacterium cultures with an OD600 of 1.5 for 90 min, it was optimal for silencing genes effectively in young seedlings as clear photo-bleaching phenotype in the newly emerging leaves of pTRV:GhCLA1 seedlings were observed at 12-14 days post inoculation. Silencing of GhPGF (cotton pigment gland formation) by this method resulted in a 90% decrease in transcript abundances of the gene in roots at the early development stage. We further used the tool to investigate function of GhBI-1 (cotton Bax inhibitor-1) gene in response to salt stress and demonstrated that GhBI-1 might play a protective role under salt stress by suppressing stress-induced cell death in cotton. Our results showed that the newly established VIGS method is a powerful tool for elucidating functions of genes in cotton, especially the genes expressed in young seedlings and roots.

The Variation in the Rhizosphere Microbiome of Cotton with Soil Type, Genotype and Developmental Stage.

Plant roots and soil microorganisms interact with each other mainly in the rhizosphere. Changes in the community structure of the rhizosphere microbiome are influenced by many factors. In this study, we determined the community structure of rhizosphere bacteria in cotton, and studied the variation of rhizosphere bacterial community structure in different soil types and developmental stages using TM-1, an upland cotton cultivar (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and Hai 7124, a sea island cotton cultivar (G. barbadense L.) by high-throughput sequencing technology. Six bacterial phyla were found dominantly in cotton rhizosphere bacterial community including Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia. The abundance of Acidobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, Planctomycetes and Proteobacteria were largely influenced by cotton root. Bacterial α-diversity in rhizosphere was lower than that of bulk soil in nutrient-rich soil, but higher in cotton continuous cropping field soil. The ß-diversity in nutrient-rich soil was greater than that in continuous cropping field soil. The community structure of the rhizosphere bacteria varied significantly during different developmental stages. Our results provided insights into the dynamics of cotton rhizosphere bacterial community and would facilitate to improve cotton growth and development through adjusting soil bacterial community structure artificially.

[NIR-SERS Spectra Detection of Cytidine on Nano-Silver Films].

The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) protected silver glass-like nanostructure (PVA-Ag-GNS) with high surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity was prepared and employed to detect the near-infrared surface enhanced Raman scattering (NIR-SERS) spectra of cytidine aqueous solution (10(-2)-10(-8) mol x L(-1)). In the work, the near-infrared laser beam (785 nm) was used as the excitation light source. The experiment results show that high-quality NIR-SERS spectra were obtained in the ranges of 300 to 2 000 cm(-1) and the detection limit of cytidine aqueous solution was down to 10(-7) mol x L(-1). Meanwhile, the PVA-Ag-GNS shows a high enhancement factor (EF) of -10(8). In order to test the optical reproducibility of PVA-Ag-GNS, ten samples of cytidine aqueous solution (10(-2)-10(-5) mol x L(-1)) had been dropped onto the surface of PVA-Ag-GNS respectively. Meanwhile, these samples were measured by the portable Raman spectrometer. As a result, the PVA-Ag-GNS demonstrated good optical reproducibility in the detection of cytidine aqueous solution. In addition, to explain the reason of enhancement effect, the ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) extinction spectrum and scanning electron microscope (SEM) of cytidine molecules adsorbed on the surface of PVA-Ag-GNS were measured. There is plasmon resonance band at 800 nm in the UV-Vis extinction Spectrum of the compound system. Therefore, when the near-infrared laser beam (785 nm) was used as excitation light source, the compound system may produce strongly surface plasmon resonance (SPR). According to the SEM of PVA-Ag-GNS, there are much interstitial between the silver nanoparticles. So NIR-SERS is mainly attributed to electromagnetic (EM) fields associated with strong surface plasmon resonance. At last, the geometry optimization and pre-Raman spectrum of cytidine for the ground states were performed with DFT, B3LYP functional and the 6-311G basis set, and the near-infrared laser with wavelength of 785 nm was employed in the pre-Raman spectrum calculation process. The calculation results without imaginary frequency and the results match pretty well with the experimental Raman spectrum. At the same time, the assignations of Raman bands and adsorption behaviors of cytidine molecules on the surface of PVA-Ag-GNS are also discussed. According to our experiment and calculations, cytidine molecules mainly adsorbed on silver nanoparticles via the ribose moiety and amino group may get close to the local electromagnetic field.

[In Situ Research on Ginger Oil Cell with Raman].

This article presents a novel and original approach to analyze the main components of the essential oils in ginger oil cell by means of Raman spectroscopy. Fresh ginger sample was prepareed with free-hand section. Under the DXR Laser confocal micro Raman spectrometer, the oil cell has 20 objective lens. As to the ginger oil cell, the Raman spectrum, all together 21 spectroscopic bands, was obtained. It has been found that the obtained Raman spectrums at different oil cells are very similar. The Raman spectrum of the commercial essential oils of ginger, together 37 spectroscopic bands, was obtained. It has been found that the 19 presented spectroscopic bands of ginger oil cell correlate very well with those obtained by the commercial essential oils. Density Functional Theory (DFT) of zingiberene calculations were performed in order to interpret the spectra of the essential oils of the ginger oil cell and essential oils of ginger. There are 31 spectroscopic bands of the essential oils of ginger, and 19 spectroscopic bands of ginger oil cell correlate very well with calculations. All these investigations are helpful tools to generate a fast and easy method to control the quality of the essential oils with Raman spectroscopic techniques in combination with DFT calculations.

[Research on volatiles of rakkyo (Allium Chinense G. Don) and Chinese chive (Allium Tuberosum Rottl. ex Sprengel) based on headspace and the molecular recognition of SERS].

The head space and the molecular recognition of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) were used to research volatiles of rakkyo and Chinese chive. Their volatiles SERS spectra were obtained using nano-silver colloid as the substrate. Then, volatiles SERS spectra of rakkyo and Chinese Chive were compared respectively with the volatiles SERS spectra of liquid allyl methyl sulfide, 1-propanethiol, diallyl disulfide and all possible pairings of the three compounds. The results showed that the repeatability of volatiles SERS spectra of rakkyo and Chinese Chive were all good. The volatiles SERS spectrum of rakkyo was basically consistent with the volatiles SERS spectrum of the mixture of liquid allyl methyl sulfide and 1-propanethiol. The volatiles SERS spectrum of rakkyo included both characteristic peaks at 626 and 674 cm(-1) in volatiles SERS spectrum of allyl methyl sulfide and characteristic peaks at 702, 893, 1024,1085, 1215 and 1320 cm(-1) in volatiles SERS spectrum of 1-Propanethiol. The volatiles SERS spectrum of Chinese chive was basically consistent with the volatiles SERS spectrum of the mixture of liquid allyl methyl sulfide and diallyl disulfide. The volatiles SERS spectrum of Chinese chive included both characteristic peak at 674 cm(-1) in volatiles SERS spectrum of allyl methyl sulfide and characteristic peaks at 407, 577, 716, 1189, 1291 and 1401 cm(-1) in volatiles SERS spectrum of diallyl disulfide. These illustrated that volatiles of rakkyo contained allyl methyl sulfide and 1-Propanethiol and volatiles of Chinese chive contained allyl methyl sulfide and diallyl disulfide. The volatiles of rakkyo and Chinese chive were different, but they all contained allyl methyl sulfide. All of the above have revealed that the headspace combined with molecular recognition of SERS can be directly used to study volatiles of rakkyo and Chinese chive. The technology under room temperature, can guarantee the volatiles obtained were the primitive constituents in plant volatiles. By comparison with the standard sample, the constituents in plant volatiles can be determined.

[Discrimination of bamboo using FTIR spectroscopy and statistical analysis].

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy combined with principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were used to identify and classify bamboo leaves. FTIR spectra of fifty-four bamboo leaf samples belonging to six species were obtained. The results showed that the infrared spectra of bamboo leaves were similar, and mainly composed of the bands of polysaccharides, protein and lipids. The original spectra exhibit minor differences in the region of 1800-700cm-1. The second derivative spectra show apparent differences in the same region. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were performed on the second derivative infrared spectra in the range from 1800 to 700 cm-1. The leaf samples were separated into 6 groups with accuracy of 98% with the first three principal components, and with 100% accuracy according to the third and fourth principal components. Hierarchical cluster analysis can correctly cluster the bamboo leaf samples. It is proved that Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy combined with PCA and HCA could be used to discriminate bamboo at species level with only a tiny leaf sample.

[Study on treating residual cavity of body surface after abscess drainage by sodium hyaluronate hydrogel].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of sodium hyaluronate hydrogel in treating residual cavity on body surface after abscess drainage so as to provide new method to speed up the healing of residual cavity after body surface abscess drainage and reduce the frequency of dressing change and clinic nursing workload. METHODS: From June 2007 to March 2008, 60 outpatients with body surface abscess drainage were randomly divided into hydrogel group (group A, 30 cases) and the control group (group B, 30 cases). In group A, there were 16 males and 14 females aged (49.5 +/- 6.1) years, the disease course was (3.8 +/- 0.6) days, and the volume of residual cavity was (4.19 +/- 1.31) mL. In group B, there were 18 males and 12 females aged (50.2 +/- 7.6) years, the disease course was (4.3 +/- 0.5) days, and the volume of residual cavity was (4.04 +/- 1.22) mL. There was no significant difference between two groups in gender, age, disease course and volume of residual cavity (P > 0.05). Residual cavity was smeared with 1 mL/cm2 sodium hyaluronate hydrogel in group A and drained by saline gauze in group B, the dressing was changed every two to three days. Residual cavity volume was recorded every four days, and the residual cavity volume, the frequency of out-patient dressing and the healing time residual of cavity were compared. RESULTS: The volume of residual cavity was (3.11 +/- 1.12), (1.75 +/- 0.95) and (0.55 +/- 0.56) mL in group A, and was (3.39 +/- 1.12), (2.64 +/- 0.99) and (1.81 +/- 0.81) mL in group B at 4, 8 and 12 days after treatment respectively, showing no significant differences at 4 days (P > 0. 05), but significant difference at 8 and 12 days (P < 0.01). Residual cavity healing time was (12.70 +/- 2.78) days in group A and (20.27 +/- 3.89) days in group B, and the frequency of dressing change was 5.53 +/- 1.33 in group A and 9.13 +/- 1.81 in group B, indicating significant differences between two groups (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Sodium hyaluronate hydrogel can promote residual cavity healing, reduce the frequency of dressing change of out-patient and decrease the clinic nursing care workload.