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Summary: Branch length is an important plant architecture trait in cotton (Gossypium) breeding. Development of cultivars with short branch has been proposed as a main object to enhance cotton yield potential, because they are suitable for high planting density. Here, we report the molecular cloning and characterization of a semi‐dominant quantitative trait locus, Short Branch Internode 1(GhSBI1), which encodes a NAC transcription factor homologous to CUP‐SHAPED COTYLEDON 2 (CUC2) and is regulated by microRNA ghr‐miR164. We demonstrate that a point mutation found in sbi1 mutants perturbs ghr‐miR164‐directed regulation of GhSBI1, resulting in an increased expression level of GhSBI1. The sbi1 mutant was sensitive to exogenous gibberellic acid (GA) treatments. Overexpression of GhSBI1 inhibited branch internode elongation and led to the decreased levels of bioactive GAs. In addition, gene knockout analysis showed that GhSBI1 is required for the maintenance of the boundaries of multiple tissues in cotton. Transcriptome analysis revealed that overexpression of GhSBI1 affects the expression of plant hormone signalling‐, axillary meristems initiation‐, and abiotic stress response‐related genes. GhSBI1 interacted with GAIs, the DELLA repressors of GA signalling. GhSBI1 represses expression of GA signalling‐ and cell elongation‐related genes by directly targeting their promoters. Our work thus provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms for branch length and paves the way for the development of elite cultivars with suitable plant architecture in cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The calmodulin-binding protein 60 (CBP60) family is a gene family unique to plants, and its members play a crucial role in plant defense responses to pathogens and growth and development. Considering that cotton is the primary source of natural cotton textile fiber, the functional study of its CBP60 gene family members is critical. In this research, we successfully identified 162 CBP60 members from the genomes of 21 species. Of these, 72 members were found in four cotton species, divided into four clades. To understand the function of GhCBP60B in cotton in depth, we conducted a detailed analysis of its sequence, structure, cis-acting elements, and expression patterns. Research results show that GhCBP60B is located in the nucleus and plays a crucial role in cotton growth and development and response to salt and drought stress. After using VIGS (virus-induced gene silencing) technology to conduct gene silencing experiments, we found that the plants silenced by GhCBP60B showed dwarf plants and shortened stem nodes, and the expression of related immune genes also changed. In further abiotic stress treatment experiments, we found that GhCBP60B-silenced plants were more sensitive to drought and salt stress, and their POD (peroxidase) activity was also significantly reduced. These results imply the vital role of GhCBP60B in cotton, especially in regulating plant responses to drought and salt stress. This study systematically analyzed CBP60 gene family members through bioinformatics methods and explored in depth the biological function of GhCBP60B in cotton. These research results lay a solid foundation for the future use of the GhCBP60B gene to improve cotton plant type and its drought and salt resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C-TERMINALLY ENCODED PEPTIDEs (CEPs) are a class of peptide hormones that have been shown in previous studies to play an important role in regulating the development and response to abiotic stress in model plants. However, their role in cotton is not well understood. In this study, we identified 54, 59, 34, and 35 CEP genes from Gossypium hirsutum (2n = 4x = 52, AD1), G. barbadense (AD2), G. arboreum (2n = 2X = 26, A2), and G. raimondii (2n = 2X = 26, D5), respectively. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analyses indicate that cotton CEP proteins can be categorized into two subgroups based on the differentiation of their CEP domain. Chromosomal distribution and collinearity analyses show that most of the cotton CEP genes are situated in gene clusters, suggesting that segmental duplication may be a critical factor in CEP gene expansion. Expression pattern analyses showed that cotton CEP genes are widely expressed throughout the plant, with some genes exhibiting specific expression patterns. Ectopic expression of GhCEP46-D05 in Arabidopsis led to a significant reduction in both root length and seed size, resulting in a dwarf phenotype. Similarly, overexpression of GhCEP46-D05 in cotton resulted in reduced internode length and plant height. These findings provide a foundation for further investigation into the function of cotton CEP genes and their potential role in cotton breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the flame retardancy and solid content of waterborne polyurethane (WPU), AOT, and AOD series of WPU were synthesized and characterized. Carboxylic acid/nonionic composite units were used as hydrophilic groups, and OP550/THPO and OP550/DOPO‐HQ combinations were used as flame retardant modifiers, respectively. The results revealed that the flame retardant‐modified WPU emulsions still had excellent dispersion, stability, and fluidity. The UL‐94 rating of modified WPU could reach V‐0, and the AOD series samples had better flame retardancy than the AOT series, where AO10D3‐WPU containing 3% DOPO‐HQ had an limiting oxygen index value up to 30.5%. Besides, the peak heat release rate and total heat release of AO10D3‐WPU were respectively decreased by 32% and 34%, compared with the control sample in the conical calorimetric test. The TGA, TG‐IR, and SEM‐EDS exhibited that the flame retardants functioned in the condensed phase by promoting carbon formation. The tensile strength of AOT series samples was excellent with a range of 15.84–27.47 MPa, while the elongation at break of AOD series samples was relatively high with a distribution of 850.8%–913.11%, which could be selected to suit the needs of different application scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monodisperse poly (methyl acrylate-meth-acyloxy-ethyl trimethylammonium chloride) cationic nanospheres were synthesized by soap-free emulsion polymerization, and were subsequently combined with gardenia to prepare dye/nanospheres. The influence of the concentration of gardenia yellow, rate of vortexing, temperature and pH of mixing on the adsorption capacity and stability of microspheres were thoroughly investigated, and the prepared gardenia/poly (methyl acrylate-meth-acyloxy-ethyl trimethylammonium chloride) nanospheres acted as liquid pigments to dye the fabric substrates by the impregnation method. In particular, the photostability of gardenia/poly (methyl acrylate-meth-acyloxy-ethyl trimethylammonium chloride) and the reflection of its dyed fabrics are distinctly described, the comparison of the dyeing property effect between gardenia/poly (methyl acrylate-meth-acyloxy-ethyl trimethylammonium chloride) and gardenia yellow dyed by mordant dyeing were analyzed. According to the experimental findings, the dyestuff nanospheres have high stability when the pH is 7–8, the mass ratio of gardenia yellow to poly (methyl acrylate-meth-acyloxy-ethyl trimethylammonium chloride) nanospheres was 12.8:1, the temperature was 60°C for 30 min, and the mixing speed was 500 rpm. Dyeing cotton fabrics with gardenia/poly (methyl acrylate-meth-acyloxy-ethyl trimethylammonium chloride) produced higher color strength and color fastness than the gardenia yellow with mordant dyeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Filamin protein is characterized by an N-terminal actin-binding domain that is followed by 24 Ig (immunoglobulin)-like repeats, which act as hubs for interactions with a variety of proteins. In humans, this family has been found to be involved in cancer cell invasion and metastasis and can be involved in a variety of growth signal transduction processes, but it is less studied in plants. Therefore, in this study, 54 Filamin gene family members from 23 plant species were investigated and divided into two subfamilies: FLMN and GEX2. Subcellular localization showed that most of the Filamin gene family members were located in the cell membrane. A total of 47 Filamin gene pairs were identified, most of which were whole-genome copies. Through the analyses of cis-acting elements, expression patterns and quantitative fluorescence, it was found that GH_ A02G0519 and GH_ D02G0539 are mainly expressed in the reproductive organs of upland cotton, and their interacting proteins are also related to the fertilization process, whereas GH_A02G0216 and GH_D02G0235 were related to stress. Thus, it is speculated that two genes of the GEX2 subfamily (GH_A02G0519 and GH_D02G0539) may be involved in the reproductive development of cotton and may affect the fertilization process of cotton. This study provides a theoretical basis for the further study of the cotton Filamin gene family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

F-box/LR (FBXL), Leucine-rich repeats in F-box proteins, belongs to the Skp1-Cullin1-F-box protein (SCF) E3 ligase family. FBXL genes play important roles in plant growth, such as plant hormones, responses to environmental stress, and floral organ development. Here, a total of 518 FBXL genes were identified and analyzed in six plant species. Phylogenetic analysis showed that AtFBXLs, VvFBXLs, and GrFBXLs were clustered into three subfamilies (Ⅰ-Ⅲ). Based on the composition of the F-box domain and carboxyl-terminal amino acid sequence, FBXL proteins were classified into three types (Type-A/-B/-C). Whole-genome duplication (WGD) along with tandem duplications and segmental contributed to the expansion of this gene family. The result indicates that four cotton species are also divided into three subfamilies. FBXLs in cotton were classified into three clades by phylogenetic and structural analyses. Furthermore, expression analyses indicated that the expression patterns of GhFBXLs in different cotton tissues were different. The highly expressed of GH_A07G2363 in 5–8 mm anthers, indicates that this gene might play a role in the reproductive process, providing candidate genes for future studies on cotton fertility materials. This study provides an original functional opinion and a useful interpretation of the FBXL protein family in cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidized sucrose is a non-formaldehyde crosslinking agent with many applications in polymer crosslinking and modification, such as in the preparation of starch films and protein films. However, research on the structure of oxidized sucrose is lacking. In this paper, oxidized sucrose was synthesized through selective oxidation of sodium periodate. By LC-MS, FTIR, TGA, NMR, and HRMS analyses, it was shown that oxidized sucrose existed in the form of a hydrate, and the tetraaldehyde oxidized sucrose could isomerize into the form of two six-membered hemiacetal rings. The structure of oxidized sucrose was also verified by theoretical calculations. Furthermore, the diffusional properties of oxidized sucrose were investigated by the rolling-film method. Finally, it was found that oxidized sucrose used as a crosslinking agent could effectively improve the wrinkle recovery performance of cotton fabrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theoretical efficiency of the class E frequency multiplier with arbitrary output frequency can reach 100% by controlling the phase of the output current to satisfy the ZVS/ZVDS condition. It is necessary to select the appropriate value of the shunt capacitance of the frequency multiplier for satisfying these two conditions. In general, the shunt capacitance of the transistor consists of the linear external capacitance and the nonlinear parasitic capacitance. Therefore, the conventional design method of treating shunt capacitance as purely linear is not accurate enough. In this brief, a class E frequency multiplier with shunt linear and nonlinear capacitances at any duty cycle is analyzed and designed, and the design curve is given in detail. The simulation and experimental results show high agreement with the theoretical analysis result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Color-changing has a wide application including electronic display, military camouflage, intelligent switch, intelligent sensor and intelligent fabric. However, slow response, poor controllability and stability are the challenges affecting the currently application of flexible thermochromic materials. This work aims at designing and constructing hierarchical structure of core-coated electro-thermochromic carbon nanotube/polyurethane composite fibers (ECPF) by impregnation and electrospinning, resulting in color-rich and electro-driven thermochromic composite fibers. The results showed that the temperature on the surface of the composite fiber increased from 25 °C to 66.4 °C and the color changed from red to yellow with the voltage of 9 V applied to both ends of ECPF respectively. The color spectrum of ECPF can be achieved by adjusting the type of color-changing inks, and different patterns of discolored textiles can be realized by weaving. In addition, ECPF composite fibers have excellent conductivity, high sensitivity, a wide strain range (0%–310% strain) and excellent durability (>2000 cycles). The ECPF composite fibers can not only detect human micro-movement, but also exhibit a large strain range more than twice the original length. This work contributes a novel strategy of developing multi-functional electro-thermochromic nanocomposite fibers with color-changing performance and wearable electronic applications for health and human movements monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, gardenia yellow solution is used to dye 100% cotton fabric. The dyeing rate curve and adsorption isotherms were recorded to explore the thermodynamic model and to calculate the corresponding parameters. A definite concentration of gardenia yellow solution was placed under the xenon arc lamp for irradiation to test its photodegradability. Absorbance of the solution was measured at different degradation times and the corresponding varying curve of the absorbance was drawn to explore the photodegradation reaction order of the natural colorant and consistent parameters were calculated. The experimental results proved that the dyeing of cotton fabric with gardenia yellow colorant followed the pseudo second order kinetic model whereas adsorption isotherm followed the Langmuir model and the photodegradation process followed the second order kinetic model. Values of different parameters were calculated: reaction rate constant k = 2.26 × 10–3 (mg · L−1)1−m h−1, the correlation coefficient R 2 = 0.994, and half decay time t1/2 = 5.82 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUN-domain containing proteins are crucial nuclear membrane proteins involved in a plethora of biological functions, including meiosis, nuclear morphology, and embryonic development, but their evolutionary history and functional divergence are obscure. In all, 216 SUN proteins from protists, fungi, and plants were divided into two monophyletic clades (Cter-SUN and Mid-SUN). We performed comprehensive evolutionary analyses, investigating the characteristics of different subfamilies in plants. Mid-SUNs further evolved into two subgroups, SUN3 and SUN5, before the emergence of the ancestor of angiosperms, while Cter-SUNs retained one subfamily of SUN1. The two clades were distinct from each other in the conserved residues of the SUN domain, the TM motif, and exon/intron structures. The gene losses occurred with equal frequency between these two clades, but duplication events of Mid-SUNs were more frequent. In cotton, SUN3 proteins are primarily expressed in petals and stamens and are moderately expressed in other tissues, whereas SUN5 proteins are specifically expressed in mature pollen. Virus-induced knock-down and the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of GbSUN5 both showed higher ratios of aborted seeds, although pollen viability remained normal. Our results indicated divergence of biological function between SUN3 and SUN5, and that SUN5 plays an important role in reproductive development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrobium catenatum, which grows on the semi humid rocks in the mountains, has been at the top of the 'Nine Immortals of China' since ancient times. It is a kind of yin tonic medicine and its main active component is polysaccharide. Cellulose synthase-like D(CslD) genes were predicted to catalyse the biosynthesis of 1,4-β-d-glycan backbone of hemicelluloses, which plays fundamental roles in plant development. To investigate the role of CslD in the development of D. catenatum, eight CslD genes (DcCslD1,2a,2b,3a,3b,4a,4b,5) were identified. The results of protein prediction and analysis showed that CslD2a/2b/4a/4b proteins were acidic proteins. All the proteins had obvious hydrophobic or hydrophilic regions, and had transmembrane structure. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the DcCslD family could be divided into group I, II, III and IV. DcCslD proteins had a typical Cellulose synthase domain and similar protein structures to the CslDs of other plants. Their promoter regions contain cis regulatory elements related to stress and hormone response. The results of qRT-PCR showed that the identified DcCslDs were differentially expressed in roots, stems and leaves. Most of them were highly expressed in stems and leaves. The environmental stresses examination showed that the expression levels of DcCslD5 were closely associated with drought-recovery treatment; the expression levels of DcCslD1, DcCslD2a, DcCslD2b, DcCslD3a and DcCslD5 were significantly influenced by low temperature. This study systematically analyzed the sequence characteristics of CslD protein of D. catenatum, which can provide reference for further study on the function of CslD protein in the polysaccharide metabolism of D. catenatum. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/13102818.2021.1941252. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkaline/neutral invertase (NI) proteins irreversibly break down sucrose into glucose and fructose and play a vital role in carbohydrate and plant growth and development. Currently, a comprehensive understanding of NI genes in Dendrobium catenatum is lacking. After genome-wide identification and prediction, nine DcNI genes were identified and named DcNI1–DcNI9. Through comprehensive analysis of gene structure, amino acid sequence, conserved motif and phylogenetic tree, it was found that the DcNI gene family has a typical conserved region and its amino acid sequence is similar to other plant NI genes. However, DcNI3 lost amino acid sequences at both the N-terminus and C-terminus, while DcNI8 lost amino acids at the C-terminus. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the DcNI family could be divided into α and β groups. It reveals conservation and divergence of DcNIs. Predictive analysis of cis-acting elements in the promoter region reveals the potential response of DcNI protein to hormones and environmental stress and suggests it to be widely involved in growth and development. DcNIs were differentially expressed in different tissues such as roots, stems and leaves. In particular, DcNI4 was highly expressed in the stem. They also had a differential expression response under drought, cold, P1 fungus infection and jasmonic acid (JA) treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first genome-wide analysis of the DcNI gene family in D. catenatum. This study will provide important and primary information for the functional study of the DcNI gene family and the polysaccharide synthesis pathway in D. catenatum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton (Gossypium) seed fibers can be divided into lint (long) or fuzz (very short). Using fiberless (fuzzless-lintless) mutants, the lint initiation gene Li3 was identified by map-based cloning. The gene is an R2R3-MYB transcription factor located on chromosome D12 (GhMML3_D12). Sequence analysis revealed that li3 is a loss-of-function allele containing a retrotransposon insertion in the second exon that completely blocks the gene's expression. The genetic loci n2 and n3 underlying the recessive fuzzless phenotype in Gossypium hirsutum were also mapped. The genomic location of n3 overlapped with that of the dominant fuzzless locus N1 , and n3 appeared to be a loss-of-function allele caused by a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mutation in the coding region of GhMML3_A12. The n2 allele was found to be co-located with li3 and originated from G. babardense. n2 and li3 are possibly the multiple alleles of the GhMML3_D12 gene. Genetic analysis showed that Li3 and N3 are a pair of homologs with additive effects for the initiation of fibers (fuzz or lint). In addition, the presence of another locus was speculated, and it appeared to show an inhibitory effect on the expression of GhMML3. These findings provide new information about the genetic factors affecting the initiation of fibers in cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The open-bud (ob) mutants in cotton display abnormal flower buds with the stigma and upper anthers exposed before blooming. This characteristic is potentially useful for the efficient production of hybrid seeds. The recessive inheritance pattern of the ob phenotype in allotetraploid cotton is determined by duplicated recessive loci (ob1ob1ob2ob2). In this study, ob1, which is a MIXTA-like MYB gene on chromosome D13 (MML10_Dt), was identified by map-based cloning. In Gossypium barbadense (Gb) acc. 3–79, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (G/A) at the splice site of the first intron and an 8-bp deletion in the third exon of MML10_Dt were found, which are the causative mutations at the ob1 loci. A 1783-bp deletion that leads to the loss of the third exon and accounts for the causal variation at the ob2 loci was found in MML10_At of Gossypium hirsutum (Gh) acc. TM-1. The ob phenotype results from the combination of these two loss-of-function loci. Genotyping assays showed that the ob1 and ob2 loci appeared after the formation of allotetraploid cotton and were specific for Gb and Gh, respectively. All Gb lines and most Gh cultivars carry the single corresponding mutant alleles. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis showed that some of the MYB genes and genes related to cell wall biogenesis, trichome differentiation, cytokinin signal transduction, and cell division were repressed in the ob mutants, which may lead to suppression of petal growth. These findings should be of value for breeding superior ob lines in cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers are continuously exploring new candidates in the field of natural dyeing to lighten the burden of synthetic dyestuff on living organisms. In this research, novel natural dye was explored using the Caulis spatholobi plant. The extraction was carried out through the conventional extraction method in the aqueous medium. Various parameters of the natural dye extraction process, such as the material-to-liquor ratio, pH, time and temperature, were optimized to 1:40, 12, 120 min and 100℃, respectively. The extract was filtered twice and used for the characterization and dyeing of wool fabric. The extract was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for the determination of dominant functional groups. Natural dyeing of wool was carried out with and without metal mordants, such as aluminum sulfate, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate and zinc sulfate. Pre-mordanting, meta-mordanting and post-mordanting techniques were employed. The performances of dyed fabrics were evaluated in terms of color strength K / S values. The fastness properties of dyed fabrics were also measured. The dyed fabric showed various color shades based on the type of mordant used. Furthermore, enhancement in the colorfastness was observed with mordanting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study a new type of organic phosphonic compound named LKS-610, a kind of reducing agent, was used to cleave disulfide bonds in wool fibers. Research into the extraction of keratin from wool and processing into useful textile materials is a hot topic in the field of textiles. Wool fibers are rich in disulfide bonds which are the main chemical cross-linkage to maintain the fiber's secondary structure. If the disulfide bonds between molecular chains can be sufficiently disrupted, it will facilitate to obtain the keratin solution suitable for the regenerated materials preparation. The reaction mechanism and effect were analyzed through scanning electron microscopic test (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy test (XPS) and amino acid content test. After a period of processing time, the valence state of sulfur element on fiber surface changed significantly; this result shows that the disulfide bonds reacted with LKS-610 reagent and generated thiol groups. Amino acid analysis demonstrated that for wool fibers treated for 60 min at 80℃, the quality percentage of cystine in wool was reduced from 10.09% to 1.05%, the majority of disulfide bonds had been cleaved. In this case, fiber scales were almost completely stripped and the cortical layer was not significantly damaged but became prone to swelling. This indicated that LKS-610 reagent could disrupt the disulfide bonds in the wool thoroughly and efficiently, and reduce these bonds to thiol groups. Wool fibers pretreated by LKS-610 reagent can be dissolved readily to prepare keratin solution; this keratin solution with high dissolution ratio and large molecular weight can be used in research into modification and preparation of regenerated protein materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lacking of reference genome sequence for the development of stable molecular markers for specific chromosomes (intervals) remains to be a challenge in cotton, which was a necessary step in fine mapping of gene ( QTL). In this study, the feasibility of development of single-nucleotide polymorphism ( SNP) markers between CS- B14 Sh (a substitution line for short arm of Chromosome 14) and TM-1 (the recurrent parent) was explored using next-generation sequencing ( NGS) based on reduced representation libraries ( RRLs). High-quality genome sequences, representing about 7.1%, 8.8% and 10.4% of the tetraploid cotton genome, were generated for TM-1, 3-79 (the donor parent) and CS-B14 Sh, respectively. A total of 397 putative SNP markers were detected between CS- B14 Sh and TM-1, and most (358) of them were also detected between TM-1 and 3-79. Allele-specific PCR method was used for validation of 40 SNP markers, and 27 of them showed polymorphism between TM-1 and CS- B14 Sh, and a linkage group comprising of 25 SNP markers and five SSR markers was constructed. The order of SNP markers agreed well with the position of them on Chr05 of D genome, which further approved the truth of SNPs detected. The results suggested that the development of SNP markers in specific genome region using NGS was efficient in substitution or near-isogenic lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With 1 figure and 6 tables Abstract Seed yield per plant is one of the most important traits of rapeseed, and it is determined by three yield component traits viz. siliques per plant, seeds per silique (SS) and seed weight (SW). In this study, quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping for SS and SW was conducted in doubled haploid and immortalized F2 populations of the cross 'Quantum' × 'No.2127 17'. The correlation analysis showed that SS had a significant negative correlation with SW. Using data from three natural field trials, 4 and 11 QTL for SS and SW were detected, respectively. Three QTL for SS were colocalized to QTL involved in SW. For both traits, the favourable alleles existed in both parents. The results could contribute to rapeseed yield improvement and provide useful information for marker-assisted selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertilization is essential to sexual reproduction of flowering plants. EC1 (EGG CELL 1) proteins have a conserved cysteine spacer characteristic and play a crucial role in double fertilization process in many plant species. However, to date, the role of EC1 gene family in cotton is fully unknown. Hence, detailed bioinformatics analysis was explored to elucidate the biological mechanisms of EC1 gene family in cotton. In this study, we identified 66 genes in 10 plant species in which a total of 39 EC1 genes were detected from cotton genome. Phylogenetic analysis clustered the identified EC1 genes into three families (I-III) and all of them contain Prolamin-like domains. A good collinearity was observed in the synteny analysis of the orthologs from cotton genomes. Whole-genome duplication was determined to be one of the major impetuses for the expansion of the EC1 gene family during the process of evolution. qRT-PCR analysis showed that EC1 genes were highly expressed in reproductive tissues under multiple stresses, signifying their potential role in enhancing stress tolerance or responses. Additionally, gene interaction networks showed that EC1 genes may be involved in cell stress and response transcriptional regulator in the synergid cells and activate the expression of genes required for pollen tube guidance. Our results provide novel functional insights into the evolution and functional elucidation of EC1 gene family in cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An original Von Koch curve-shaped tipped electrospinneret was used to prepare a polyimide (PI)-based nanofiber membrane. A multilayer Al2O3@polyimide/polyethylene/Al2O3@polyimide (APEAP) composite membrane was tactfully designed with an Al2O3@ polyimide (AP) membrane as outer shell, imparting high temperature to the thermal run-away separator performance and a core polyethylene (PE) layer imparts the separator with a thermal shut-down property at low temperature (123 °C). An AP electrospun nanofiber was obtained by doping Al2O3 nanoparticles in PI solution. The core polyethylene layer was prepared using polyethylene powder and polyterafluoroethylene (PTFE) miniemulsion through a coating process. The addition of PTFE not only bonds PE power, but also increases the adhesion force between the PE and AP membranes. As a result, the multilayer composite separator has high safety, outstanding electrochemical properties, and better cycling performance as a lithium-ion battery separator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research has focused on improvement of the structural and mechanical properties of regenerated keratin materials by physical or chemical methods in recent years. In this research, regenerated keratin materials were modified with graphene oxide (GO). The properties of modified keratin films and the mechanism of interaction between GO and keratin macromolecules were studied. The SEM and XRD test results showed that the orientation of keratin macromolecules could be effectively improved by GO, which favored improvement of the keratin material's crystallinity and made the films more uniform and compact. The thermal stability and mechanical properties of GO-modified keratin films were also improved significantly. At the same time, the reaction mechanism between keratin and GO materials was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), FT-IR, and Raman spectroscopy. It was shown that there was no chemical reaction between GO and keratin molecules, and the interaction between them was mainly via hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]