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This study aims to investigate the feasibility of using decoration waste powder (DWP) as a partial replacement for fly ash (FA) in the preparation of geopolymer masonry mortar, and to examine the effect of different DWP replacement rates (0%–40%) on the fresh and mechanical properties of the mortar. The results showed that each group of geopolymer masonry mortar exhibited excellent water retention performance, with a water retention rate of 100%, which was due to the unique geopolymer mortar system and high viscosity of the alkaline activator solution. Compared to the control group, the flowability of the mortar containing lower contents of DWP (10% and 20%) was higher. However, as the DWP replacement rate further increased, the flowability gradually decreased. The DWP could absorb the free water in the reaction system of geopolymer mortar, thereby limiting the occurrence of geopolymerization reaction. The incorporation of DWP in the mortar resulted in a decrease in compressive strength compared to the mortar without DWP. However, even at a replacement rate of 40%, the compressive strength of the mortar still exceeded 15 MPa, which met the requirements of the masonry mortar. It was feasible to use DWP in the geopolymer masonry mortar. Although the addition of DWP caused some performance loss, it did not affect its usability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Sr65 in chromosome 1A of Indian wheat landrace Hango-2 is a potentially useful all-stage resistance gene that currently protects wheat from stem rust in Australia, India, Africa and Europe. Stem rust, caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt), threatened global wheat production with the appearance of widely virulent races that included TTKSK and TTRTF. Indian landrace Hango-2 showed resistance to Pgt races in India and Australia. Screening of a Hango-2/Avocet 'S' (AvS) recombinant inbred line population identified two stem rust resistance genes, a novel gene (temporarily named as SrH2) from Hango-2 and Sr26 from AvS. A mapping population segregating for SrH2 alone was developed from two recombinant lines. SrH2 was mapped on the short arm of chromosome 1A, where it was flanked by KASP markers KASP_7944 (proximal) and KASP_12147 (distal). SrH2 was delimited to an interval of 1.8–2.3 Mb on chromosome arm 1AS. The failure to detect candidate genes through MutRenSeq and comparative genomic analysis with the pan-genome dataset indicated the necessity to generate a Hango-2 specific assembly for detecting the gene sequence linked with SrH2 resistance. MutRenSeq however enabled identification of SrH2-linked KASP marker sunCS_265. Markers KASP_12147 and sunCS_265 showed 92% and 85% polymorphism among an Australian cereal cultivar diversity panel and can be used for marker-assisted selection of SrH2 in breeding programs. The effectiveness of SrH2 against Pgt races from Europe, Africa, India, and Australia makes it a valuable resource for breeding stem rust-resistant wheat cultivars. Since no wheat-derived gene was previously located in chromosome arm 1AS, SrH2 represents a new locus and named as SR65. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf rust, caused by Puccinia hordei, is one of the most widespread and damaging foliar diseases affecting barley. The barley leaf rust resistance locus Rph7 has been shown to have unusually high sequence and haplotype divergence. In this study, we isolate the Rph7 gene using a fine mapping and RNA-Seq approach that is confirmed by mutational analysis and transgenic complementation. Rph7 is a pathogen-induced, non-canonical resistance gene encoding a protein that is distinct from other known plant disease resistance proteins in the Triticeae. Structural analysis using an AlphaFold2 protein model suggests that Rph7 encodes a putative NAC transcription factor with a zinc-finger BED domain with structural similarity to the N-terminal DNA-binding domain of the NAC transcription factor (ANAC019) from Arabidopsis. A global gene expression analysis suggests Rph7 mediates the activation and strength of the basal defence response. The isolation of Rph7 highlights the diversification of resistance mechanisms available for engineering disease control in crops. Rph7 is a previously mapped barley leaf rust resistance locus, but the causal resistance gene remains unclear. Here, combining a fine mapping approach with RNA-Seq based analysis, the authors clone Rph7 and show it encodes putative NAC transcription factor containing a C-terminal BED domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel high-strength straight-hole recycled pervious concrete (HSRPC) for the secondary highway pavement was prepared in this paper. This study aimed to investigate the effect of porosity (0.126%, 0.502%, and 1.13%), vehicle loading stress level (0.5 and 0.8) and service life on the resistance to rainstorm-based waterlogging of HSRPC under fatigue loading. The mechanical properties of HSRPC in terms of flexural strength and dynamic elastic modulus were studied. The waterlogging resistance of HSRPC was described by surface water depth and drainage time. The microstructure of HSRPC were observed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results showed that although the dynamic elastic modulus and flexural strength of HSRPC decreased with the increasing number of fatigue loading, the flexural strength of HSRPC was still greater than 5 MPa after design service life of 20 years. After 2.5×105 times of fatigue loading, the permeability coefficient of HSRPC with a porosity of 0.502% and 1.13% increased by 18.4% and 22.9%, respectively; while the permeability coefficient of HSRPC with 0.126% porosity dropped to 0.35 mm/s. The maximum surface water depth of HSRPC with a porosity of 0.126%, 0.502%, and 1.13% were 8, 5 and 4 mm, respectively. SEM results showed that fatigue loading expanded the number and width of cracks around the tiny pores in HSRPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of carbon dioxide (CO2) curing conditions (temperature, relative humidity and CO2 curing time) on the physical properties of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) with varying attached mortar (AM) contents were studied. Before and after CO2 curing, the physical properties in terms of the apparent density, water absorption and crushing value of RCA were tested and the quality of RCA was determined. Besides, scanning electron microscope was used to observe the microstructure of RCA. Results show that the physical properties variation of RCA with higher AM content are more significant, and the quality of RCA with lower AM content is easier to be upgraded during CO2 curing. The physical properties of RCA with 40.8% AM content are earlier stable than that with no less than 44.5% AM content during CO2 curing. The optimal temperature and relative humidity are 50 °C and 55% for CO2 curing, respectively. CO2 curing is incapable of upgrading the quality of RCA with AM no less than 50.6%. The quality of RCA with 44.5% AM content can be upgraded only under the optimum CO2 curing conditions. Under relative humidity higher than 40% and the CO2 curing time more than 12 h, CO2 curing upgrades the quality of RCA with 40.8% AM content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noble metal electrocatalysts (e.g., Pt, Ru, etc.) suffer from sluggish kinetics of water dissociation for the electrochemical reduction of water to molecular hydrogen in alkaline and neutral pH environments. Herein, we found that an integration of Ru nanoparticles (NPs) on oxygen-deficient WO3-x manifested a 24.0-fold increase in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity compared with commercial Ru/C electrocatalyst in neutral electrolyte. Oxygen-deficient WO3-x is shown to possess large capacity for storing protons, which could be transferred to the Ru NPs under cathodic potential. This significantly increases the hydrogen coverage on the surface of Ru NPs in HER and thus changes the rate-determining step of HER on Ru from water dissociation to hydrogen recombination. While water splitting electrolysis offers an appealing means to produce H2 fuel, catalysts show sluggish reaction rate in neutral media. Here, authors utilize hydrogen spillover from oxygen-deficient tungsten oxides to Ru nanoparticles to boost the neutral-pH H2 evolution performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Al–2Mn binary alloy with gradient microstructure and chemistry near its surface was fabricated by combining surface mechanical treatment and post-ageing treatment. TEM results indicate that the minimum grain size of the topmost surface layer is below 100 nm. As revealed by SIMS results, Mn is depleted in the surface layer with ~2 μm in thickness, which is due to the "short-circuit" diffusion along grain boundaries and dislocation pipes. Microhardness and corrosion testing results revealed that both hardness and corrosion resistance increase substantially with this gradient design. XPS and Mott–Schottky results demonstrate that the oxide film of the gradient Al–Mn alloy is thinner and denser than that of the coarse-grained sample. Our design method of obtaining gradient distribution both in microstructure and chemistry near metal surface lights a pathway for overcoming the trade-off between properties such as strength and corrosion in 3000 series Al alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Adult plant stem rust resistance locus, QSrGH.cs-2AL, was identified in durum wheat Glossy Huguenot and mendelised as Sr63. Markers closely linked with Sr63 were developed. An F3 population from a Glossy Huguenot (GH)/Bansi cross used in a previous Australian study was advanced to F6 for molecular mapping of adult plant stem rust resistance. Maturity differences among F6 lines confounded assessments of stem rust response. GH was crossed with a stem rust susceptible F6 recombinant inbred line (RIL), GHB14 (M14), with similar maturity and an F6:7 population was developed through single seed descent method. F7 and F8 RILs were tested along with the parents at different locations. The F6 individual plants and both parents were genotyped using the 90 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) wheat array. Stem rust resistance QTL on the long arms of chromosomes 1B (QSrGH.cs-1BL) and 2A (QSrGH.cs-2AL) were detected. QSrGH.cs-1BL and QSrGH.cs-2AL were both contributed by GH and explained 22% and 18% adult plant stem rust response variation, respectively, among GH/M14 RIL population. RILs carrying combinations of these QTL reduced more than 14% stem rust severity compared to those that possessed QSrGH.cs-1BL and QSrGH.cs-2AL individually. QSrGH.cs1BL was demonstrated to be the same as Sr58/Lr46/Yr29/Pm39 through marker genotyping. Lines lacking QSrGH.cs-1BL were used to Mendelise QSrGH.cs-2AL. Based on genomic locations of previously catalogued stem rust resistance genes and the QSrGH.cs-2AL map, it appeared to represent a new APR locus and was permanently named Sr63. SNP markers associated with Sr63 were converted to kompetetive allele-specific PCR (KASP) assays and were validated on a set of durum cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to facilitate self-compacting concrete to be better used in tunnel linings that can resist fires, a SiO2 aerogel-cement mortar coating was prepared. Based on the HC curve, a self compacting concrete cube specimens coated and uncoated with SiO2 aerogel-cement mortar (SiO2-ACM) were heated to simulate tunnel fire for 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 and 4 h, respectively.The residual compressive strength was tested after the specimens were cooled to room temperature by natural cooling and water cooling. The results show that, the damages of specimens become more serious as fire time goes on, but the residual strength of specimens coated with SiO2-ACM is always higher than that of uncoated with SiO2-ACM. In addition, the residual strength of specimens cooled by water cooling is lower than that of natural cooling. However, for the specimens coated with SiO2-ACM, the adverse effects of water cooling are lessened. With the increase of fire time, the protective effect of SiO2-ACM is still gradually improved. Finally, a formula was established to predict the residual 150 mm cube compressive strength of specimens protected by SiO2-ACM after a simulated tunnel fire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar has been applied widely as an amendment in the remediation of contaminated soil to immobilize the heavy metals. However, the role of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation modified biochar derived from the residues of phytoremediation plants in the contaminated soil not investigated yet. In this study, the UV-modified biochars were obtained from Brassica napus L. and Lolium perenne L. by pyrolysis at 600 °C. They were applied in a pot experiment to investigate their effect on Cd bioavailability and uptake in Coriandrum sativum L. in a Cd-contaminated soil at four addition rate (0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.6%). The results showed that the Cd was effectively stabilized in the biochar with environmentally acceptable leaching toxicity. The specific surface area and carboxyl functional group of biochar were greatly increased after UV modification. The application of biochar progressively increased the soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC). Furthermore, the CaCl2-extractable Cd was significantly reduced by 18.4–51.4% with biochar amendments. The concentration of Cd in shoots and roots was significantly reduced by biochars. In conclusion, the UV-modified biochar obtained from phytoremediation residue could effectively deal with hazardous waste and repair Cd-contaminated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To further strengthen the protective effect of aerogel cement paste (ACP) coating on self-compacting concrete (SCC) in tunnel fire under the optimal mix proportion, the effect of curing temperature (from 5 to 80 °C, based on site construction curing temperature and surrounding rock temperature) on fire insulation of ACP was investigated. The mechanical properties, thermal conductivity and porosity of ACP were tested. The microstructure of ACP was characterized by means of SEM, XRD and TG/DTG. The results reveal that 50 °C is the optimal curing temperature for ACP with good mechanical properties and fire insulation. Relatively high curing temperature can facilitate hydration and pozzolanic reactions, contributing to the generation of more stable substances (such as C-S-H gels, tobermorite and thenardite, etc). ACP under excessive low curing temperature brings inhomogeneous microstructure with coarse pores, leading to producing wider and longer microcracks when it is exposed to tunnel fire. The microcracks make the heat convection and thermal radiation more significant and thus accelerate the damage of ACP under fire. In case of the less than 7% difference of thermal conductivity, dense microstructure and stable substances are more conducive to strengthening fire insulation of ACP. In practical engineering applications, the thickness of protective layer of ACP can be further optimized when ACP is cured under about 50 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five kinds of mortars with density grades of 500, 600, 700, 800, and 900 kg/m3 were prepared. Their thermal conductivity and compressive strength were measured, and the morphological changes before and after simulated tunnel fire were observed. To investigate the fire resistance, the interfacial temperature of a 30 mm thick aerogel-cement mortar and self-compacting concrete (SCC) in a simulated tunnel fire with the maximum temperature of 1 100 °C for 2.5 h was tested and recorded. The results showed that as the density decreased, both compressive strength and thermal conductivity of the aerogel-cement mortar exhibited an exponential decrease. The effective fire resistance time of the mortar with 500, 600, 700, 800, and 900 kg/m3 for protecting SCC from tunnel fire were 97 min, 114 min, 144 min, > 150 min, 136 min, respectively. 700–800 kg/m3 was the optimum density for engineering application of tunnel concrete fireproof coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a D-band (110–170 GHz) transmitter/receiver (Tx/Rx) chipset with end-fire on-chip antennas (OCAs) using 0.13-μm SiGe BiCMOS technology. The input LO signal frequency of the chipset is 31.25 GHz. A 62.5-GHz frequency doubler, a D-band 2nd-harmonic up-conversion mixer, a power amplifier (PA), and an end-fire antenna are integrated in the Tx. An end-fire antenna, a D-band low-noise amplifier (LNA), a 2nd-harmonic down-conversion mixer, and a 62.5-GHz frequency doubler are integrated in the Rx. The end-fire OCA has gain and efficiency of 4.1 dBi and 83%, respectively. Maximum measured effective isotropic radiation power (EIRP) of 9.2 dBm and conversion gain of 21 dB are achieved for the Tx and Rx, respectively. The Tx/Rx are packaged on PCBs through wire bonding and chip-to-chip wireless communication using 16QAM modulation with the data rate of 4 Gb/s is demonstrated. The DC power consumption of the whole chip is ~1150 mW, and the total chip size is 2 × 3.5 mm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SNP Lr46G22, linked to the I Lr46/Sr58/Yr29 i APR locus (Lagudah unpublished) was used as a KASP marker to genotype the mapping population based on Kandiah et al. (2020). Correction to: Theoretical and Applied Genetics (2022) 135:1541-1550 https://doi.org/10.1007/... In the original manuscript we characterize the KASP marker IWB32429, linked to the adult plant stem rust resistance locus I Sr63 i . [Extracted from the article]

Colloidal nanoparticles with anisotropic architectures have attracted a variety of interest and attention due to different physical and chemical properties compared with the isotropic counterparts, making them promising candidates in many fundamental studies and practical applications. Particularly, carbon and silica-based anisotropic nanoparticles can be one stand out by combing both intrinsic merits of carbons and silica, such as structural stability, biocompatibility, large surface area, and ease of functionalization with the anisotropic structural complexity. In this review, we aim to provide an updated summary of the research related to the anisotropic carbon and silica-based nanostructures, covering both their synthesis and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: A set of molecular markers was developed for Sr26 from comparative genomic analysis. The comparative genomic approach also enabled the identification of a previously uncharacterised wheat chromosome that carried Sr26.Abstract: Stem rust of wheat, a biotic stress caused by a fungal pathogen, continues to pose significant threats to wheat production. Considerable effort has been directed at surveillance and breeding approaches to minimize the impact of the widely virulent race of the stem rust pathogen (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, Pgt) commonly known as Ug99 (TTKSK) and other races in its lineage. The stem rust resistance gene Sr26, derived from Thinopyrum ponticum, is an excellent example of the successful utilization of a gene from a wild relative of a crop plant and remains one of the few durable sources of resistance currently effective against all known field isolates of Pgt. We explored comparative genomic analysis of the nucleotide binding leucine rich repeat (NLR) genes of the diploid D genome and bread wheat genomes to target the Sr26 region from the non-sequenced Th. ponticum genome. A chromosomal interval harboring NLR genes in the distal end of homoeologous group 6 chromosomes was used to demarcate the Sr26 locus. A set of closely linked PCR-based molecular markers was developed for Sr26. Furthermore, the comparative analysis approach enabled the unambiguous identification of a previously uncharacterised wheat chromosome that carried Sr26 in an introgressed Th. ponticum segment and was validated by fluorescent and genomic in situ hybridisation (FISH/GISH) experiments. The genetic information generated from the target interval based on this study will benefit future related studies on group 6 chromosomes of wheat, including 6Dt from Aegilops tauschii, and chromosome 6Ae#1 from Th. ponticum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A microstrip interlocked-coupled bandpass filter is proposed with a markedly compact structure. The low-impedance open-end line of the quarter-wavelength Stepped-Impedance Resonator (SIR) is replaced by two open-end high-impedance lines, which not only facilitate the coupling mechanism but also provide the strong electric coupling between resonators. With the proper utilization of folded SIRs, the occupied area of coupled-resonator pair can be reduced. By applying the proposed coupled-resonator pair, the passband filter with the compact size can be realized. Good agreement between measured and simulated results is observed. The proposed filter is desirable for compact and high-performance microwave circuit applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pathogen- and salicylic acid (SA)-induced DNA-binding activity has been recently identified in tobacco that is related to a previously identified class of WRKY DNA-binding proteins. To identify members of the WRKY gene family associated with this DNA-binding activity, we have attempted to isolate those WRKY genes that are induced by pathogen infection. Using a domain-specific differential display procedure, we have isolated two tobacco WRKY genes, tWRKY3 and tWRKY4, that are rapidly induced in resistant tobacco plants after infection by tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Both tWRK3 and tWRKY4 encode proteins with a single WRKY domain that contain the conserved WRKYGQK sequence. Unlike other isolated WRKY proteins that contain the Cys2His2 zinc motif, tWRKY3 and tWRKY4 appear to contain the Cys2HisCys zinc motif. Nonetheless, both tWRKY3 and tWRKY4 are capable of binding DNA molecules with the W-box (TTGAC) element recognized by other WRKY proteins. Expression of the tWRKY3 and tWRKY4 genes could be rapidly induced not only by TMV infection but also by SA or its biologically active analogues that are capable of inducing pathogenesis-related genes and enhanced resistance. Interestingly, induction of both genes by TMV infection was still observed in resistant tobacco plants expressing the bacterial salicylate hydroxylase gene ( nahG), although the levels of induction appeared to be reduced. Identification of pathogen- and SA-induced genes encoding WRKY DNA-binding proteins should facilitate future studies on the regulation and functions of this novel group of DNA-binding proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have previously shown that healthy potato plants respond poorly to salicylic acid (SA) for activating disease resistance against the late blight fungal pathogen Phytophthora infestans. However, SA is essential for the establishment of potato systemic acquired resistance (SAR) against P. infestans after treatment with the fungal elicitor arachidonic acid (AA). To understand the molecular mechanisms through which AA induces SA-dependent SAR in potato, we have recently studied the expression of potato class II catalase (Cat2St) in comparison with its tobacco homologue, Cat2Nt, which has previously been shown to bind SA. In the present study, we show that tobacco Cat2Nt is expressed at high levels and accounts for almost half of total SA-binding activity detected in tobacco leaves. In contrast, potato Cat2St is not expressed in healthy leaves, which is associated with the low SA responsiveness of potato plants for activation of disease resistance mechanisms. Upon treatment with AA, expression of potato Cat2St is induced not only in AA-treated leaves, but also in the upper untreated parts of the plants, concomitant with the establishment of SA -dependent SAR to P. infestans. Moreover, expression of the tobacco Cat2Nt gene in transgenic potato plants leads to constitutive expression of the endogenous potato Cat2St gene and is associated with enhanced resistance to P. infestans. These results collectively indicate that plant SA-binding class II catalases may play an important role in the development of disease resistance, possibly by serving as biological targets of SA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]