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Through the introduction of green finance policies, governments hope to improve the guiding role of institutional investors in green investment and provide financial support for green enterprises. Using the data in China, the difference-in-difference (DID) analysis explores whether the implementation of policies could change institutional investors' attitude to environmental factors when making investment decisions. Considering the effect of investment horizons, we find that long-term institutional investors have shown symmetric preferences on green investment, while short-term institutions are more affected by green finance policies. Additionally, the mechanism analysis shows that green finance policies can influence the green investment of institutional investors not only by affecting stock price returns but also by increasing the innovation capabilities of green companies and thus improving corporate performance. Besides, heterogeneity and moderating effect analyses find that green finance policies can achieve better policy effects when financial institutions invest in non-state-owned enterprises, enterprises with higher quality of information disclosure and poor external supervision. The finding would extend the studies of green investment in emerging markets and present new evidence about the policy effect on institutions' preferences for green investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Grain shape is a key trait in rice breeding. Although many QTLs and genes of grain shape have been identified, how different combinations of alleles of these genes affect grain shape is largely unknown. It is important to understand the effects of grain shape gene combinations for breeding by design. In the present study, we performed genetic dissection of the grain shapes in Guangdong Simiao varieties, a popular kind of rice in South China, to identify the effective alleles and their combination for breeding. Results: We selected two hundred nineteen indica accessions with diverse grain shapes and fifty-two Guangdong Simiao varieties with long and slender grain shapes for genome-wide selection analysis. The results showed that four (GS3, GS5, GW5 and GL7) of the twenty grain shape genes fall into the regions selected for in Guangdong Simiao varieties. Allele analysis and frequency distribution of these four genes showed that GS3allele3 and GW5allele2 accounted for 96.2%, and GL7allele2 and GS5allele2 accounted for 76.9% and 74.5% of the Simiao varieties, respectively. Further analysis of the allelic combinations showed that 30 allelic combinations were identified in the whole panel, with 28 allelic combinations found in the international indica accessions and 6 allelic combinations found in Guangdong Simiao varieties. There were mainly three combinations (combinations 17, 18 and 19) in the Guangdong Simiao varieties, with combination 19 (GS3allele3 + GW5allele2 + GL7allele2 + GS5allele2) having the highest percentage (51.9%). All three combinations carried GS3allele3 + GW5allele2, while combinations 17 (GL7allele1) and 19 (GL7allele2) showed significant differences in both grain length and length/width ratio due to differences in GL7 alleles. Pedigree analysis of Guang8B, the maintainer of the first released Simiao male sterile line Guang8A, showed that the parent lines and Guang8B carried GS3allele3 + GW5allele2 + GS5allele2, while the GL7 allele differed, resulting in significant differences in grain size. Conclusion: The results suggest that specific alleles of GS3, GS5, GW5 and GL7 are the key grain shape genes used in the Guangdong Simiao varieties and selected for grain shape improvement. Combination 19 is the predominant allelic combination in the Guangdong Simiao varieties. Our current study is the first to dissect the genetics of grain shape in Guangdong Simiao varieties, and the results will facilitate molecular breeding of Guangdong Simiao varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Human activities have more than doubled the input of atmospheric reactive nitrogen into terrestrial ecosystems, affecting plant and soil microbial communities. This study aimed to investigate the effect of atmospheric N deposition on the rhizosphere soil microbial community composition of the main plant species with different niches in grassland.An N addition experiment was performed in a semi-arid grassland on the Loess Plateau, China. The experiment consisted of four N addition treatments: N0 (0 g N m−2 yr−1), N3 (3 g N m−2 yr−1), N6 (6 g N m−2 yr−1), and N9 (9 g N m−2 yr−1). The response of rhizosphere soil microbial community composition from four main plant species to atmospheric N deposition was explored.Nitrogen addition significantly affected rhizosphere soil bacterial community composition of Bothriochloa ischaemum and Stipa bungeana but had no effect on that of Artemisia gmelinii and Cleistogenes squarrosa. Furthermore, it also significantly affected rhizosphere soil fungal community composition of S.bungeana; however, no effects were observed on the other three plant species. Compared with the complexity of rhizosphere soil bacterial network, low N addition rates had a greater effect on the complexity of the rhizosphere soil fungal network.This study revealed that rhizosphere soil bacterial community composition of plant species with a higher niche breadth is generally more sensitive to atmospheric N deposition. Our study highlights the distinct roles of plant species with different niche breadths in maintaining rhizosphere soil microbial community composition under conditions of global N enrichment.Methods: Human activities have more than doubled the input of atmospheric reactive nitrogen into terrestrial ecosystems, affecting plant and soil microbial communities. This study aimed to investigate the effect of atmospheric N deposition on the rhizosphere soil microbial community composition of the main plant species with different niches in grassland.An N addition experiment was performed in a semi-arid grassland on the Loess Plateau, China. The experiment consisted of four N addition treatments: N0 (0 g N m−2 yr−1), N3 (3 g N m−2 yr−1), N6 (6 g N m−2 yr−1), and N9 (9 g N m−2 yr−1). The response of rhizosphere soil microbial community composition from four main plant species to atmospheric N deposition was explored.Nitrogen addition significantly affected rhizosphere soil bacterial community composition of Bothriochloa ischaemum and Stipa bungeana but had no effect on that of Artemisia gmelinii and Cleistogenes squarrosa. Furthermore, it also significantly affected rhizosphere soil fungal community composition of S.bungeana; however, no effects were observed on the other three plant species. Compared with the complexity of rhizosphere soil bacterial network, low N addition rates had a greater effect on the complexity of the rhizosphere soil fungal network.This study revealed that rhizosphere soil bacterial community composition of plant species with a higher niche breadth is generally more sensitive to atmospheric N deposition. Our study highlights the distinct roles of plant species with different niche breadths in maintaining rhizosphere soil microbial community composition under conditions of global N enrichment.Results: Human activities have more than doubled the input of atmospheric reactive nitrogen into terrestrial ecosystems, affecting plant and soil microbial communities. This study aimed to investigate the effect of atmospheric N deposition on the rhizosphere soil microbial community composition of the main plant species with different niches in grassland.An N addition experiment was performed in a semi-arid grassland on the Loess Plateau, China. The experiment consisted of four N addition treatments: N0 (0 g N m−2 yr−1), N3 (3 g N m−2 yr−1), N6 (6 g N m−2 yr−1), and N9 (9 g N m−2 yr−1). The response of rhizosphere soil microbial community composition from four main plant species to atmospheric N deposition was explored.Nitrogen addition significantly affected rhizosphere soil bacterial community composition of Bothriochloa ischaemum and Stipa bungeana but had no effect on that of Artemisia gmelinii and Cleistogenes squarrosa. Furthermore, it also significantly affected rhizosphere soil fungal community composition of S.bungeana; however, no effects were observed on the other three plant species. Compared with the complexity of rhizosphere soil bacterial network, low N addition rates had a greater effect on the complexity of the rhizosphere soil fungal network.This study revealed that rhizosphere soil bacterial community composition of plant species with a higher niche breadth is generally more sensitive to atmospheric N deposition. Our study highlights the distinct roles of plant species with different niche breadths in maintaining rhizosphere soil microbial community composition under conditions of global N enrichment.Conclucsions: Human activities have more than doubled the input of atmospheric reactive nitrogen into terrestrial ecosystems, affecting plant and soil microbial communities. This study aimed to investigate the effect of atmospheric N deposition on the rhizosphere soil microbial community composition of the main plant species with different niches in grassland.An N addition experiment was performed in a semi-arid grassland on the Loess Plateau, China. The experiment consisted of four N addition treatments: N0 (0 g N m−2 yr−1), N3 (3 g N m−2 yr−1), N6 (6 g N m−2 yr−1), and N9 (9 g N m−2 yr−1). The response of rhizosphere soil microbial community composition from four main plant species to atmospheric N deposition was explored.Nitrogen addition significantly affected rhizosphere soil bacterial community composition of Bothriochloa ischaemum and Stipa bungeana but had no effect on that of Artemisia gmelinii and Cleistogenes squarrosa. Furthermore, it also significantly affected rhizosphere soil fungal community composition of S.bungeana; however, no effects were observed on the other three plant species. Compared with the complexity of rhizosphere soil bacterial network, low N addition rates had a greater effect on the complexity of the rhizosphere soil fungal network.This study revealed that rhizosphere soil bacterial community composition of plant species with a higher niche breadth is generally more sensitive to atmospheric N deposition. Our study highlights the distinct roles of plant species with different niche breadths in maintaining rhizosphere soil microbial community composition under conditions of global N enrichment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bacterial blight (BB), caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), is one of the most devastating diseases in rice all over the world. Due to the diversity and rapid evolution of Xoo, identification and use of the non-race specific quantitative resistance QTLs has been considered the preferred strategy for effective control of this disease. Although numerous QTLs for BB resistance have been identified, they haven't been effectively used for improvement of BB resistance in rice due to their small effects and lack of knowledge on the function of genes underlying the QTLs. Results: In the present study, a genome-wide association study of BB resistance was performed in a rice core collection from South China. A total of 17 QTLs were identified to be associated with BB resistance. Among them, 13 QTLs were newly identified in the present study and the other 4 QTLs were co-localized with the previously reported QTLs or Xa genes that confer qualitative resistance to Xoo strains. Particularly, the qBBR11–4 on chromosome 11 explained the largest phenotypic variation in this study and was co-localized with the previously identified QTLs for BB and bacterial leaf streak (BLS) resistance against diverse strains in three studies, suggesting its broad-spectrum resistance and potential value in rice breeding. Through combined analysis of differential expression and annotations of the predicted genes within qBBR11–4 between two sets of rice accessions selected based on haplotypes and disease phenotypes, we identified the transcription factor OsMYB21 as the candidate gene for qBBR11–4. The OsMYB21 overexpressing plants exhibited decreased resistance to bacterial blight, accompanied with down-regulation of several defense-related genes compared with the wild-type plants. Conclusion: The results suggest that OsMYB21 negatively regulates bacterial blight resistance in rice, and this gene can be a promising target in rice breeding by using the gene editing method. In addition, the potential candidate genes for the 13 novel QTLs for BB resistance were also analyzed in this study, providing a new source for cloning of genes associated with BB resistance and molecular breeding in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronological, geochemical and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic analyses have been carried out on the Mesozoic plutons in western Shandong with the aim of characterizing crustal–mantle evolution during the tectono-thermal reactivation of the craton. Detailed SHRIMP zircon U–Pb dating reveals two main periods of Mesozoic activity with contrasting compositions. The older magmatic pulse is manifested by monzonites and monzodiorites from Tongshi for which zircon rims yield a concordant age of 177±4 Ma and the cores have a discordant age of ca. 2.5 Ga. Low MgO and Cr, high Na2O contents and especially their isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Sr < 0.7042, 206Pb/204Pb < 16.8 and εNd ~ -12) are consistent with derivation from late Archean–Paleoproterozoic lower crust. Relatively high HREE contents in these Jurassic plutons indicate a garnet-free source (<32 km), in contrast to the garnet-bearing source (>40 km) of the late Mesozoic high Sr and low Y granitoids from the same region. Distinctively different depths of crustal melting suggest dynamic thickening of the crust by magmatic underplating during the Jurassic and Cretaceous. The younger dioritic plutons from Laiwu and Yinan were emplaced at 132–126 Ma and show relatively high MgO and Cr contents and large isotopic variability. They were likely derived from enriched lithospheric mantle source and were subjected to crustal contamination during magma evolution. Early Cretaceous mantle melting is coeval with the widespread late Yanshanian granitic magmatism in North China. Early Cretaceous time may correspond to a critical period when a temperature increase due to lithospheric thinning allowed the intersection of the local geotherm and the wet peridotite solidus. While some mantle-derived magmas were erupted, most were trapped at variable crustal depths, triggering large-scale concomitant melting of the crust. Lithospheric thinning must have continued until the late Cretaceous because of the change in the source of mafic magmas from lithospheric to asthenospheric at that time. It is proposed that removal of the lithospheric keel beneath the North China craton may have been initiated as early as the Jurassic, but with the most intense period in the Cretaceous between 130–75 Ma. Such a relatively long timescale (~100 Ma) emphasizes the role of thermomechanical erosion by convective mantle in lithospheric thinning beneath this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]